Archive of Our Own ^beta

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𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐭, because she knows yuqi and shuhua will never let her live it down if she utters the damn words, but she knows deep down that, yes, she's a hopeless romantic. so sue her.

for someone who prides herself in her tough girl, tsundere image, icy-cold cat-like eyes glaring down her fellow trainees, an intimidating aura radiating from a single killer glance, anycolour's charismatic, fierce and mysterious minnie became a soft, lovesick nicha the second she steps off the stage. she keeps that side of her under wraps as much as she can, so help her god if that little brat yuqi was to find out minnie's guilty pleasures comprised of crying her eyes dry to cheesy rom-coms and holding her torchlight under the covers to pour over whatever romance novel she could get her hands on.

love has always been inexplicably enticing to minnie, even since she was a child ── because what's more beautiful than finding your other half, your soulmate, the one you're destined for. it's beautiful, isn't it? minnie's always been the kind to shed tears at rom-coms that play out the first love trope so beautifully, so poetically, the kind to spend hours on end pouring over the most beautiful shakespearian sonnets and weaving her own twists into them, the image of the perfect lover dancing around her brain, conjured purely from her imagination, her idealism and just maybe a pinch of blissful innocence.

you name a cliché romcom, minnie's probably watched it. but if there's just one favourite trope she had to pick ── out of all the beautiful, fairy tale tropes that've played out over the silver screen ── it's got to be love at first sight that just takes the cake. love at first sight, there's nothing more beautiful than falling for someone upon first glance, minnie's sure, how can anything possibly be more beautiful, more poetic than falling for the one you were destined for?

it's shit straight out of the movies, copy-pasted right off the silver screen, scenes one only ever sees in the k-dramas that were her first introduction to korea's world of the elevated first love ── a crazily unrealistic marketing ploy that minnie can't help but fall for. she sees the appeal of a beautiful love story (because you'd be blind not to) from the minute she sets her sights on her first love because she realised from the minute she met the love of her life that this is the shit people write sonnets and ballads about, this is why people are so obsessed with their first love.

because when minnie met cho miyeon for the first time and she felt like she got sucker-punched in the chest just by catching miyeon's eyes across the dance practice room, she knew she was absolutely, tremendously fucked. even when the beautiful elegant princess of a girl is the furthest thing from graceful when she trips over her loopy bunny-eared laces and crashes, quite literally into minnie, who can only snake her arm around the korean's waist as her other hand hurriedly supports the flustered girl's back.

a scene straight from the korean dramas minnie envies and idolises, a love story woven from fantasy manifested into reality, starring the most beautiful princess who all the gods must smile down upon because it defies all the laws of nature for someone to be this beautiful, for someone to be this perfect.

minnie stares emptily at the spoonful of kimchi fried rice that's been warming her spoon for the entire dinner. it's soojin who picks the quaint restaurant a few blocks down from the company building that's famous amongst trainees for its absolutely stellar fried rice that minnie's also incredibly fond of but tonight, minnie's got no appetite ── not tonight at least, when there's a seat to her left that's been left untouched despite minnie's persistent reminders that the girl would be welcome here. but of course, like every other fortnightly team dinner they were given to spend outside the confines of their dorms, miyeon never took them up on the offer.

whenever they went out for their team dinner and miyeon wasn't there, a common topic of conversation, especially for yuqi and shuhua, was speculating what miyeon used this time to do ── did she have better things to do, did she have someone else to see? perhaps she had a boyfriend she was hiding from cube? (that was the mischievous duo's favourite theory ── yuqi's reasoning being that miyeon's too pretty to not be snatched up) ── and it struck an oddly painful chord with minnie, which didn't sit well with her at all. after all, why was she getting so worked up at the insinuation that miyeon could be dating someone (a man, nonetheless)?

it was weird, really, especially when you considered that miyeon was barely even their friend. sure, she'd been added to their debut lineup and was now living in the same dorm as minnie, soyeon and yuqi but it felt like miyeon merely coexisted with them rather than lived with them ── the three of them bickered and fought and more often than not, yuqi and minnie teamed up to torment soyeon till she reached her wits' end but miyeon remained an entirely separate entity, either absent from the room all together or sitting quietly on her bunk reading, writing or sleeping. even when they practised, the other girls fooled around between breaks, with yuqi clinging to soyeon and shuhua clinging to soojin but miyeon just stood in a corner, panting to catch her breath as she chugged her energy drink, never quite resting near the rest of them.

it was hard ── sajangnim had given soyeon explicit instructions to pass to the others to be welcoming to miyeon, stating that she's the missing piece their lineup needs to be confirmed for a debut with her years of training on her well-decorated resume ── to connect with someone who was so closed off. not that minnie didn't try, of course, she did everything she could think of: she bought miyeon snacks and was the one to offer her a drink during practice, she scooted closer to miyeon to initiate small talk with her during breaks, she made sure to slow down and walk with miyeon rather than racing yuqi back to the dorms after a long day, she made sure to buy back food she thought miyeon might like whenever they went out and miyeon politely declined their invitation every time. but every time she thought she was making progress with miyeon, miyeon would retreat further into her shell, avoiding eye contact and all interaction as best as she could.

it was truly a mystery, cho miyeon was a mystery minnie was determined to crack. and she was going to do anything to get to the bottom of it, to help miyeon open up and to help miyeon find her place in their little family.

"hey, mouse, what's on your mind?" yuqi's lack of an inside voice snapped minnie out of her train of thought as yuqi questioned her elder bluntly through a mouthful of rice.

"would it kill you to be the slightest bit more respectful to your elders?" soyeon sighed under her breath as yuqi rolled her eyes playfully at the elder girl, putting down her utensils so she could cling onto soyeon's shoulder. "seriously, why can't you be like shuhua and use formalities? must you be such an uncivilised brute?"

"hey! you find my brutish attitude endearing," yuqi fired back indignantly, puckering her kimchi-coated lips at the korean girl, who recoiled sharply, which only made yuqi protest even louder as she tackled soyeon, who was now leaning on a visibly irate shuhua. shuhua, who reached for yuqi's jugular while respectfully avoiding hurting soyeon. minnie turned to soojin amusedly as the korean sighed heavily before standing up, leaning across the table to grab yuqi by her ponytail and yanking her back onto her chair, yuqi flopping backwards unceremoniously as she yelped. "yah! seo soojin!"

"you're going to get us thrown out of the restaurant," soojin hissed sharply as she reaches over to help soyeon settle herself back in her seat, "the three of you are never sitting on the same side of the table, especially not you and soyeon, you'll irritate her and then shuhua will fight with you for soyeon's sake."

"i think we should just eat without yuqi next time," shuhua suggested

"let's replace her with miyeon-ssi," minnie added bluntly as yuqi groans loudly while the others chorus in agreement. "miyeon-ssi's probably heaps more fun than yuqi," minnie continued thoughtfully, "but of course, we wouldn't know because...she never comes out with us."

"so that's why you're so mopey," yuqi sang playfully, smirking knowingly at a befuddled minnie, who can only blink blankly at yuqi. rather than yelling at minnie for taking a jab at her, she makes an exaggeratedly pompous expression that nearly has soyeon snorting her green tea out of her nostrils. "you miss your girlfriend," yuqi continued to sing loudly as soojin groaned and reached over the table to clap a hand over yuqi's mouth, only to recoil suddenly as she shrieked, wiping her hand violently on a napkin as yuqi stuck her tongue out at the visibly peeved korean, "take that, soojin!"

"soojin unnie," shuhua corrects flatly, "and don't be mean to my jinjin!"

"is that actually why you're all downtrodden and refusing to eat even though this is also your favourite restaurant?" soyeon asked curiously as minnie opened her mouth instinctively to retort but instead found herself at a loss for words (as yuqi and shuhua wrestled in the background, earning them dirty looks from the workers there as soojin apologised profusely on their behalf). is it true? perhaps, partially? she can't deny that miyeon being here would've made the dinner a lot more fun ── for starters, she'd get to spend time with miyeon outside of the practice room and their dorms, perhaps get to know the elusive korean a little better rather than just her name, her age and her incredibly powerful, alluring voice that had minnie weak in the knees the day minnie chanced upon her singing in an empty practice room, guitar on her lap as she strummed along to a song minnie didn't recognise (she's never had the courage to ask miyeon about it anyway, miyeon never really gives any of them the time of day after all).

"look at the blush on her cheeks," yuqi cooed patronisingly as minnie rolled her eyes at the chinese girl's antics ── she's used to her best friend's mischievous ways after all, they aren't best friends for nothing ── but didn't move to correct her. she can't, after all, not when she herself can't quite pinpoint why cho miyeon has this inexplicable hold on her. "oh, minnie unnie's definitely got a big crush on miyeon-ssi!"

"do you actually?" soyeon queried curiously as minnie swallowed thickly, brain short-circuiting as she effectively forgets the entirety of the korean language and found herself unable to formulate even a one-word response. "i can't blame you," soyeon added thoughtfully as she brought the spoon to her lips once more and eats another mouthful of her rice, "miyeon-ssi is really pretty."

"yah!" yuqi protested angrily, "why are you calling other girls pretty?! you take that back right now!"

"dude, come on," shuhua whined in annoyance, evidently fed up with yuqi's antics (minnie's pretty sure everyone at the table had enough with yuqi and her mouth), "even your eyes were bugging out of your head when we bumped into her when she first left sajangnim's office! we both freaked out because since when can cube bag such pretty trainees! like, no way she's a trainee!"

minnie narrowed her eyes slightly at this ── what the hell, shuhua, yuqi AND soyeon all think miyeon's pretty, is she going to have to fistfight all three of them for miyeon's attention?! ── as she turned to soojin ── please, god, don't let soojin think miyeon's pretty too, she can't compete with seo soojin when it comes to stealing hearts. soojin smiled sympathetically at minnie, ever the sensitive one as she rests a hand on minnie's knee under the table, shooting her unnie a thoughtful smile.

"but of course, no one's prettier than my soojin unnie," shuhua finished smugly as soojin rolled her eyes fondly at the youngest's flirtatious advances, shaking her head in mock dismay as she turned her attention to minnie. "minnie unnie, you down bad," shuhua supplied dutifully as yuqi guffawed loudly, clapping her own hand over her mouth as she tried valiantly not to invoke the wrath of seo soojin once more but even soojin struggled to bite back her laughter, a single giggle slipping past her lips as minnie whipped around in horror, gaping at soojin in a look of utter betrayal as soojin merely shrugged meekly. "aren't i right?" shuhua hummed smugly, smirking at minnie, who seethes in her seat quietly ── one can't really fault shuhua for her limited proficiency in the korean language, she sure knows enough to get under minnie's skin just like the rest of the girls.

"i don't like her like that," minnie denied vehemently but the others don't even bat an eyelash, evidently unconvinced, "i just want to get to know her. like, you know, as a friend and as a team member since she's our final member after all and we're set to debut soon. we need good chemistry if we're gonna appeal to the public, you know?"

"are you convincing us...or yourself?" yuqi wisecracked under her breath as minnie clenched her fists, resisting the urge to lunge across the table and whack yuqi in the back of her head.

"whatever you feel about her, we respect," soojin, ever the mediator, placated gently as soyeon nodded along, "i think you're the best bet when it comes to getting her to open up. you guys are born in the same year after all."

"is she always this sad? even in your dorm?" minnie queries curiously as soojin and shuhua exchanged nervous, sympathetic looks, "i-is she really?"

"yeah," soojin admitted morosely as shuhua nodded along sheepishly, "she always looks like she's holding the weight of the world on her shoulders, like she's going to break at any second, you know?"

"morbid," yuqi muttered sadly just as soyeon chimed in with "perceptive."

as the rest continued to speculate what could possibly be weighing miyeon down, minnie drifted off once more, wondering if she'd ever solve the mystery of cho miyeon, if she would ever worm her way inside of miyeon's locked heart.

i want to see the world from your eyes, minnie thought determinedly as miyeon's melancholic expression floats into her mind, i want to make life easier for you ── if you'll let me. if you want me like i want you.

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minnie stumbled back inside the dorm after nearly getting her ass handed to her for, heaven forbid, forgetting to greet a higher-up ── she's exhausted and all she wanted to do is collapse on her bed and fall asleep. she's somewhat aware of yuqi's sleeping form in the corner of the room, her bunk underneath soyeon's as soyeon, tucked under her blanket, taps away at her keyboard (minnie can just vaguely make out the sound of tinkering keys from under the covers). and then she lumbered to towards her bunk after she brushed her hair only to stare up at the girl resting on the bunk above hers.

miyeon looked so small, so pitiful, curled up in a light green hoodie, tucked as snugly as she could be under the paper-thin blanket they were each provided for their bunks. minnie placed her hand on the pillow miyeon brought up to her face, gently pulling it down so she could meet the korean's eyes. a flood of regret and sympathy washed over her the second she did so, for she felt a sharp tug at her heartstrings at the sight of miyeon's adorably widened eyes. miyeon stared up at her curiously, eyes big and alert as she met minnie's gaze tenderly. minnie nearly lost her grip on the railings of the bunkbed ladder, stumbling on the rungs as miyeon eyed her watchfully, completely silent, a half-eaten crispy roll in hand.

"hey," minnie broke the awkward silence with an even more awkward conversation starter, mentally kicking herself for her state of apparent mental slowness that day, "oh...did i scare you?"

"u-um...yeah?" miyeon whispered softly, tripping over the two words she managed to get past her lips. her fingers fiddled with the plastic wrapper of what minnie assumed what was her favourite food (she saw miyeon eating it all the time── not that she was watching, of course), eyes leaving minnie's uncomfortably as she looked down shyly. "it's fine, never mind me," she rushed to amend sweetly, her gentle voice barely audible over the sound of yuqi's thunderous snores ── even in slumberland, yuqi found a way to be the loudest person in the room ── "what's wrong? are you sick?"

"n-no," minnie rushed to assure the anxious korean, who'd looked up by now and brought a tentative hand to reach for minnie's forehead, stopping midair at minnie's rapid interjection, "i just...you weren't at our team dinner today." miyeon's eyes, if even possible, grew bigger at the sentence, the sheepish girl biting her lip nervously as minnie spared her the awkwardness with her uncontrollable rambling. "you're never there," the words slipped past minnie's lips before she realised how weird that sounded but there was no turning back by then, "and...i get worried about you."

"oh," miyeon blurted timidly and minnie's left leg moved to kick herself in the right shin ── god, nicha, can you sound any weirder? you two aren't even that close and here you are, saying you notice that she's always missing? how could she not though, minnie thought miserably, there was always an empty seat beside her at the table she always made sure was booked for six. "i...um..." miyeon stammered out apprehensively, crispy roll now fallen into her lap as she twiddled her thumbs anxiously.

"do we make you uncomfortable?" minnie interrupted with a sheepish query, one hand letting go of the railing to scratch the back of her neck as miyeon watched her with those big, curious eyes. "b-because i never meant for that!" minnie continued insistently, voice leaping up an octave as she spoke, "i'm sure they didn't either! if there's anything we do that's discomforting, y-you can tell me! i'll tell them! and we'll fix it! i promise!"

"n-no, not that!" miyeon rushed to placate hurriedly, her voice a harsh whisper as she hesitantly glanced over at the bunk bed across theirs, visibly untensing when she saw yuqi still fast asleep. minnie stifled a laugh at that ── everyone feared the wrath of a sleep-deprived song yuqi.

"if you don't like what we go out to eat, you can pick next time, i'm sure the others won't mind!" minnie offered hopefully, "we usually take turns to pick anyway, it's my turn next week but i'll let you go first." miyeon's mouth formed an adorable 'o' at minnie's last benevolent gesture, causing minnie's heart to skip a beat as miyeon nibbled shyly on her crispy roll. "really...i just...i want to make sure you're okay," minnie promised her quietly, gazing into miyeon's eyes sincerely as she watched the korean visibly relax at her words.

"it's not that...i just...sometimes, i still feel like a sixth wheel." miyeon's confession came out of nowhere, if minnie was being honest, the words tumbling past her lips faster than either girl could register but when the words finally sank in, minnie could only feel her own shoulders sink instinctively. miyeon seemed to notice too, jolting upright to scooch closer to minnie, placing a hand over minnie's hand that gripped the railing so tight she was sure her knuckles would be white if she could see them clearly in the dimly lit room. "but it's not your fault! or anyone else's!" miyeon insisted determinedly, a sudden surge of conviction to her tone before she retreated back into her shell, shrinking away from minnie as the thai felt the coldness of the room envelope her hand now that miyeon's hand had left hers, "you guys have just known each other for so long..."

"i wanna get to know you like i know them," minnie admitted breathily, barely able to force the words past her now dry lips, "because you always seem so sad alone and i wanna make you smile but you don't seem to enjoy my company." there they are; her innermost thoughts that have been costing her hours of sleep, spilling out of her mouth that she couldn't seem to keep shut, airing her dirty laundry to the last person who should be hearing these things.

"minnie..." and miyeon just stared at her with those horribly remorseful eyes and the guilt in miyeon's voice was palpable, minnie could practically feel the sadness and pain seeping into the korean's voice.

"should i call someone else? maybe soojin would be better? or shuhua?" minnie suggested awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck still as she recognised miyeon's evident discomfort. you'd have to be an idiot or as dense as soyeon not to see the look of perplexity on miyeon's beautiful face.

"no, i'm just...careful, i would behave the same if it was anyone else," miyeon replied quietly as minnie nodded slowly at them, arching an eyebrow to probe the nervous korean to go on, "i like your company...i smile at your jokes even if i don't say anything...i just..." miyeon's voice faded into nothingness just as minnie thought she was making progress, causing minnie's inner celebratory fist bump to swiftly turn to an inward sigh of dejection as she watched the korean, whose eyes glistened with an unspoken hurt and sadness that minnie just ached to take away from her.

"hey, let's go somewhere else so we don't have to whisper," minnie proposed quietly, extending her free hand to a curious miyeon, who, with a single blink, blinked back whatever suppressed emotion minnie had caught a mere glimpse of, her wide eyes now filled with their earlier curiosity and wonder. "i won't bite, miyeon-ssi...i promise," minnie added amusedly, a teasing undertone to her voice that elicited a small smile from miyeon, "you can trust me, just take my hand."

"you can just call me miyeon," miyeon spoke up shyly as she placed her hand over minnie's, the contact immediately making minnie's cheeks flare up as she thanked the darkness for shrouding her flushing cheeks (which she was sure were redder than the tomato plushie yuqi had gotten soyeon as a joke for their anniversary ── that soyeon said she hated but still slept with every night so you know, to each their own). "or miyeon unnie," miyeon continued gently as minnie hopped off the ladder, her hand reluctantly letting go of miyeon's to let the older girl climb down slowly.

minnie's hand wove its way into her sweatpants' pocket, fishinhg out her flashlight keychain and switching it on, shining it on the rungs of the ladder to help miyeon make her way down as safely as she could. her other hand remained extended, ready to catch miyeon should things go awry.

"miyeon-ssi makes me feel like i'm some old hag or something...or one of our scary managers..." miyeon cracked her joke feebly and uncertainly, almost as if unsure that they were close enough to joke around but one look at the sheepish smile on miyeon's face and minnie was an absolute goner. was the comment particularly hilarious? unlikely. minnie just blamed her late night delirium for the eruption of a thunderous laugh (that could rival yuqi's snores, even), only snapping back to reality when she felt a surprisingly forceful throw land a pillow squarely on the back of her head.

"yah!" minnie yelped in annoyance, whirling around immediately (she could thank growing up with two elder monkeys of brothers for her lightning quick reflexes) as she yanked the pillow off the floor violently, sending it barrelling towards her chinese best friend, striking her right across the mouth and nose, earning minnie a hoarse "yah!" that echoed her own. "you deserve it," minnie snapped flatly as yuqi grunted incoherently, a loud bang of the boards of soyeon's bunk above yuqi's indicating that the fussy chinese just called for back-up.

"babe," yuqi whined grumpily, kicking the bed once more only to be acknowledged with a gruff huff from a tossing and turning soyeon, "minnie unnie is at it again ~"

"shut up and go to sleep," minnie commanded sternly, turning away from yuqi to meet miyeon's gaze. it was then that she realised that all along, miyeon was smiling. miyeon was smiling and giggling, minnie realised, when she looked over her shoulder to find the korean cracking a minute smile at her and yuqi's antics. miyeon. was. smiling. (now why did that make her heart beat so stupidly fast?)

"no, you shut up!" yuqi fired back indignantly, arms folded across her chest in frustration.

"both of you shut up, goddamn it!"

whoops, minnie realised a second too late, they'd woken the grumpy lion with their chatter ── well, it wasn't anything new: minnie and yuqi bickered on the daily and soyeon would often get involved, wrangling the two while miyeon either stayed completely knocked out or ignored them entirely. from the small smile miyeon was cracking at the moment, however, minnie figured their dorm either had a new police officer or a new rowdy inmate ── minnie's money was on the second.

catching miyeon's gaze, minnie narrowed her eyes playfully at the korean, who was laughing openly now even with a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. minnie stomped her foot playfully, pretending to kick up a fuss as she heard miyeon stifle another laugh, making her own heart pound rapidly in her chest.

"and stop kicking my bed, woogi!" soyeon warned sharply as yuqi huffed under her breath, muttering something incoherent but obliging nonetheless, her legs falling down on the mattress with a loud thump that made miyeon snicker once more, minnie presumed at yuqi's childish demeanour. minnie's triumphant celebration for making miyeon laugh was short-lived, however, when she glanced over at yuqi to find the chinese's middle finger pointed accusingly at her.

"喂！真的是，没有礼貌!" (hey, seriously, no respect)

minnie cried out indignantly, surprisingly still caught off-guard by yuqi's blatant disrespect. they'd known each other for more than a year now and were more than comfortable with each other ── to the point where yuqi freely used chinese swear words in minnie's direction ── but minnie still found herself bewildered by yuqi's open disregard for the social norms so highly respected in korea. minnie glanced over at miyeon, wondering how the korea-born girl would feel about yuqi's brashness; in the dimly lit dorm, minnie could pick up on how miyeon was tickled pink, causing minnie to chuckle quietly under her breath.

"跟你女朋友在外面调情!" (go outside and flirt with your girlfriend)

yuqi fired back loudly, minnie could practically imagine the smug smirk on yuqi's face but her brain was too busy short-circuiting to react. okay, maybe her chinese was just really bad and she didn't understand what yuqi was saying (yeah right, little miss speaks five languages fluently), did yuqi just call miyeon her girlfriend?! minnie barely registered the sound of what she assumed what soyeon lobbing a pillow at an indignant yuqi, too busy averting all eye contact with miyeon, struggling to restart her poor feeble heart, that was flatlining because of yuqi's careless comment.

in that moment, minnie praised the lord that miyeon wasn't fluent in chinese because she would crawl into a hole and die right there if miyeon could understand what yuqi was saying. and here she was, thinking she was being rather slick about her not-so-subtle crush on the korean girl ── yuqi and shuhua had teased her about it a couple of times but were swatted away by a peeved soyeon or a tired soojin so she assumed that they didn't really connect any dots. clearly, dots were being connected.

maybe it was the heart eyes whenever miyeon walked into a room, or the eye-smiles whenever ever-clumsy miyeon tripped over her own shoelaces and made an effort to remind minnie to tie her own shoelaces to avoid being tormented by the maknaes the way miyeon was for her own carelessness. maybe it was the visible disappointment on her face whenever the girls went out for team bonding, chemistry-building exercises and miyeon was never there, always pulling up a random excuse (headache, stomachache, last-minute vocal lessons that clashed) and her never-ending whining about how she wished miyeon was there that tipped yuqi off. oh well, minnie thought in frustration, yuqi seems to know anyway ── and it's not like yuqi can just un-know.

"minnie?" miyeon's gentle voice called minnie out of her ruminating as minnie jerked upwards to look at miyeon, praying to the high heavens that miyeon couldn't see the visible distress on her face. "a-are you okay?" miyeon inquired sweetly, hands intertwined in front of her smaller frame as she eyed minnie anxiously. clearly, minnie really wasn't that slick ── even her adorably dense miyeon could pick up on the uneasy tension in the air.

"闭嘴!" (shut up)

instead of responding to miyeon with a blabbered mess of yeahi'mfineyuqijustcalledyoumygirlfriendandigaypanicked, minnie decided to just turn around and direct her anger at yuqi instead, yelling at the chinese loudly as she whipped around to glare at the chinese while miyeon stayed quiet, staring at them curiously.

"c'mon, miyeonnie, let's go," minnie mumbled under her breath, deciding to take the high road to avoid being yelled at by soyeon or attracting the dorm monitors to their dorm (because two warnings in one week was the limit of soyeon's magic and it was only wednesday for crying out loud ── and yuqi and minnie's spontaneous karaoke at 2am on monday and tuesday already had them grovelling at soyeon's feet). minnie walked towards the door, her hand already on the doorknob when she heard miyeon shuffling behind her. "just ignore yuqi," minnie added softly, "she can't shut up to save her life."

"don't get caught sneaking out," the leader warned sharply, her voice hoarse from sleep as minnie glanced over her shoulder to show she was listening (if the feisty captain was even conscious enough to register that), "i'm not god, i can't get your ass out of everything, kim minnie."

"yeah yeah," minnie hummed softly, waving dismissively as she stepped outside, miyeon right at her heels before she closed the door, "love you too. go back to sleep, this is all a dream."

"kim minnie?" miyeon's sweet voice filled minnie's ears once she closed the door, a soft query slipping past her perfect pink lips as minnie turned to face her curiously. "i didn't know your last name was kim," miyeon continued sceptically, bottom lip jutting out in a thoughtful pout that made minnie's heart pound in her chest, "i thought it was y...yontararak?"

that's it, minnie was a goner. hearing miyeon's adorable korean accent trying to carefully prononuce minnie's complex last name (and succeeding, minnie had to admit) was the nail in the coffin for an already flustered minnie, all she could do was try not to gape at the korean and attempt meekly to control her erratic heartbeat.

"that's how you say it, right?" miyeon piped up shyly when minnie failed to answer her, causing minnie to turn to her sheepishly as miyeon began walking down the corridor, a wordless hint for minnie to follow her. and follow her like an obedient dog tagging along with its owner, minnie did.

"no, yeah, you're right. it's not kim, they made it up because my real last name is too hard to say," minnie replied quietly, a gentle chuckle following her words as miyeon giggled quietly along with her, pushing open a door minnie hadn't even known was there. it led to an abandoned stairwell minnie did not realise even existed. lips parting in an effort to query how miyeon had even found out about this place despite only having joined cube around three months ago (96 days but like...who's counting, right?), minnie pursed her lips tightly when she noticed the dazed look in her companion's eyes as she held onto minnie by the wrist. "you remember," minnie quipped instead, suppressing her own curiosity as she looked over at the girl walking in front of her, miyeon turning around to nod slightly, a shy smile on her face before she turned back around, guiding minnie up the winding stairs.

minnie decided to start writing notes to miyeon when she first brought back a takeaway box of jjangmyeon for the korean girl ── miyeon had moved in for barely a week at that point and though she was immediately invited to their weekly team meal, she declined meekly, mumbling something about a dance crash course she needed to attend. though used to her four other companions, the meal felt...emptier without the last person who should've been there, a glaring empty chair reminding minnie of her painful absence.

but no matter how they'd tried to break through to miyeon with cheesy icebreakers and snide commentary under their breaths (mostly yuqi and shuhua's magnanimous contribution), miyeon always seemed to fake a beautiful smile before shrinking back shyly into her shell. minnie tried to include her whenever she could, pairing up with the girl for dance exercises and asking miyeon for help with korean homework (she knew all the answers, of course, but there was something soothing about having miyeon sit on her bed, leaning closer to her to peer at the words and explain the 'careless' mistakes minnie had made to her).

it never seemed to really work though ── so minnie opted for sweet notes left with takeout boxes or snack packets, making sure to restock miyeon's favourite snacks whenever she and yuqi broke out of cube to go hunting for snacks. perhaps she'd finally wormed her way into miyeon's distant heart...

"maybe i pay attention," miyeon teased gently, a playful undertone to her voice as she chuckled shyly, bambi eyes blinking back at minnie when she turned around to meet the thai's flustered gaze, "don't let it get to your head though." minnie couldn't hide the surge of pride at the korean's teasing words, beaming uncontrollably at her as miyeon smiled back kindly, the kind of smiles that genuinely light up a galaxy.

"i knew i was your favourite," minnie hummed happily under her breath as miyeon rolled her eyes tenderly in a response, a gesture far too crude for a literal princess, but the adorable way her eyes sparkled under the moonlight seeping through the small windows made up for miyeon's mischief easily ── minnie could feel herself practically falling into miyeon's eyes. "well, here's another thing to add to your list of facts about your favourite person: my name isn't really minnie. yeah, sure, doubt it if you want but minnie's just the name i picked for my stage name, you know? like how yuqi is yüqi but we call her woogi because that's how you say her name in hangul. my name's nicha, nicha yontararak."

"hm," miyeon pondered thoughtfully as minnie smiled at the korean's genuine look of wonder, "that's...starkly different from the kim minnie whose hand i shook when i was first introduced to you guys, why didn't you tell me your name was nicha?"

"everyone's gonna call me minnie soon if everything works out for us," minnie replied quietly as miyeon walked on, maintaining eye contact with minnie steadily even as she walked, her hand never leaving minnie's wrist, "but you can call me nicha if you want. i don't mind, i don't think the name'll change who i am — i'm nicha and soon i'll be minnie too."

"i might just do a mix of both, think you can keep up?" miyeon retorted jokingly.

"nicha, minnie, whatever you call me, i'll always answer." the smooth reply slipped past her smirking lips before she could stop herself, eliciting a quiet scoff from her companion, but the telltale curl of her lips told minnie that miyeon was more than amused.

"okay, casanova, tone it down a little," miyeon snickered softly as minnie shrugged playfully in response, wiggling her eyebrows as miyeon laughed quietly.

minnie knew she wasn't about to tone anything down.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

when miyeon had led her up what felt like a million flights of stairs (though miyeon's smart mouth would coolly correct her and remind her it was 'barely a dozen flights, you baby'), minnie wasn't sure what to expect as she watched miyeon fish for a loose hairpin in her pockets, fiddling with the door handle, which minnie assumed meant she was picking the lock.

"so...this is where you go at night?" minnie spoke up hesitantly to fill the enveloping silence that felt somewhat suffocating ── she liked miyeon, of course she did, but she didn't do too well with silence, especially when it was with someone she wasn't too close to.

"you've noticed?" instead of answering minnie directly, wry as ever miyeon replied with a sheepish question of her own, blushing profusely as she averted eye contact. her hands stopped fiddling with the lock fleetingly when she turned around to meet minnie's gaze, minnie nodding adamantly as miyeon smiled shyly in response.

"of course i have," minnie answered naturally before realising that, hey, minnie, that sounds kinda weird! she nearly clapped her hand over her mouth but figured that it may make things worse so instead, she smiled kindly at miyeon, who only batted her eyelashes innocently at minnie.

"well, yeah...i come here a lot, my head gets a little loud...a lot," miyeon squeaked out timidly, eyes clouding with that palpable sadness minnie picked up a lot in her. she averted eye contact swiftly after that, turning back to place her hands on the lock as she fiddled with the lock once more, picking the lock wordlessly. "i like to escape reality like this," miyeon piped up once more, her voice barely audible over the sound of her tinkering with the lock, "it's not much...but it's better than facing the truth."

a sudden surge of sympathy washed over minnie, spurring the thai girl to step forward and place a gentle hand on the elder's tense shoulder. she gripped the korean's shoulder tenderly, a silent squeeze of affirmation as miyeon turned slightly to glance at minnie's hand, a small smile forming on her face before turning away.

"if it gets too loud," minnie murmured shyly, "i can help you drown it out. if you want."

"you're really nice to me," miyeon blurted suddenly as she staggered to her feet, minnie extending her hands to help the korean off the ground she was kneeling on to pick the lock, "thank you, i will bear your offer in mind."

"we're the same age...right? we gotta stick together, wrangle the children together like the parents of the group," minnie supplied sweetly as miyeon laughed, that beautifully melodious laughter of hers sending butterflies minnie didn't even know existed aflutter. miyeon's laugh was...ethereal, otherworldly...something else, minnie wondered if miyeon knew how enchanting she was.

"i'm pretty sure soyeon is the parent...alongside soojin. you and yuqi are the little bratty toddlers...or the yapping family dogs," miyeon replied flippantly, a wicked glint in her otherwise innocent eyes as she tried to push the stubborn door open, lips dropping in a cute pout that made minnie swallow sharply, jaw dropping before she could contain herself. "i-i'm kidding by the way," miyeon backtracked immediately, "s-sorry, sometimes i forget that we don't know each other that w—"

oh...so miyeon thought i was shocked because of the crudeness of her joke. right, yeah, that works, minnie thought nervously as she heaved a silent, inward sigh of relief, thank god your gayness isn't too blatantly obvious, nicha.

"i knew you were funny," minnie interrupted miyeon with a chuckle before the frazzled korean could backtrack any further, "you remind me of soojin...sort of. you're both kinda quiet...but when you speak up, you're pretty funny. all your little comments...sharp tongue..."

"you think about me a lot, don't you?" the sharpness of miyeon's tongue that minnie had just commented on moments before caught her off guard once more, rendering minnie momentarily speechless as she looked over at miyeon. miyeon in her light green hoodie and sleeping shorts, who somehow made the most comfortable, halfheartedly put together outfit look like something straight out of vogue. miyeon, who didn't know that her joke had more truth to it than she would ever understand. all minnie could do was stand there, cheeks flushing bright red as miyeon winked playfully at her.

"you're not the only one who pays attention," minnie replied quietly, looking down at her tightly clenched hands. she didn't even have time to be rather smug about her cryptic reply when she heard miyeon let out a timid squeak, having tripped over something while ramming the door open rather violently with her shoulder. huh, miyeon was rather strong, minnie observed before kicking herself mentally, realising this was no time to be adding to her non-exhaustive list of cute facts about cho miyeon when said girl was quite literally about to crash into the floor, having gotten the door open at last.

"m-minnie!" miyeon's frantic cry for help sent minnie's body into autopilot as she reached for miyeon's wrist, the other hand wrapping around miyeon's waist tightly to help the frazzled korean to her feet. minnie snaked her arm around miyeon's waist protectively, unwilling

"woah there," minnie commented teasingly when miyeon's eyes, blown up wide, stared into hers in a mix of what minnie assumed to be awe and surprise, "you should really be more careful, what happens if i'm not around to catch you?"

"i'll cal your name every time i fall," miyeon and that cursed tongue of hers went on prattling, sending minnie's heart into overdrive but she pretended she didn't care, wasn't flustered in the slightest with a mocking roll of her eyes. miyeon could not know, absolutely not, she was not going to scare miyeon off by acting like a horny schoolboy. "you said you'd always respond...right? time to test your reflexes...and you'd better be vigilant, miss yontararak, i'm quite the clumsy one ~"

"i've my work cut out for me then," minnie mused under her breath softly as she let go of miyeon's waist but held the elder's wrist still, something selfish in her not wanting to let go just yet, "but it's okay. my mom says you always gotta work for it if it's worth it!"

"oh, how lucky i am to make the cut of being worthy in your eyes, minnie," miyeon sang playfully and minnie's heart threatened to stop right there.

"of course you are," minnie answered easily, i think you'll always be.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

she wasn't sure what to expect from whatever the squeaky, stubborn door led to. but like miyeon, its elusiveness sure was enticing, minnie realised, perhaps she was a sucker for mysteries after all. beyond the dusty door was the most liberating scene minnie had ever seen ── as miyeon skipped across the gravel, singing minnie's name out freely as she beckoned the dazed girl forward, the door closing behind minnie as minnie stumbled towards a leaping miyeon, who looked so happy that minnie's hand itched for her camera, wishing she could capture this moment and stay here forever.

"wow," minnie exhaled quietly in amazement as miyeon clamoured atop the edge of cube's building, "yah! cho miyeon! please be careful!" panic set in when she saw miyeon's precarious position as she scrambled after miyeon, only to find miyeon with a smirk painting her angelic face, deceptively innocent princess eyes staring back at her, comically wide even. "jeez, you're a handful," minnie mumbled flatly as she slowly sat beside miyeon, still rather uncertain but something about the way miyeon was so relaxed began to rub off on her.

"you'll never be bored when you're with me," miyeon hummed in response as minnie laughed softly at that. oh, miyeon, minnie thought dreamily, if only you knew how close you are to the truth ── how could i ever be bored with you when you make me feel like this? when my heart catapults itself to cloud nine when all you do is look at me? when you say things like this and expect my mind to take such words platonically when i'm in so deep and i can't get out?

"i can roll with that," minnie answered as calmly as she could, eyes following miyeon's own wonderstruck one to the sky, admiring the far distant stars that sparkled, beckoning for her, a wordless call she just knew miyeon could hear too. after all, miyeon's eyes were drawn heavenbound too and from the way they sparkled under the moonlight, minnie just knew miyeon heard it too.

"so pretty, right?" miyeon gushed from beside her, hands placed elegantly on her lap as she leaned forward, almost as if compelled by the glittering stars. minnie resisted the urge to reach her hand out and block the korean from teetering too far, something about the dazed look in miyeon's eyes told her enough to know that miyeon had done this many times. instantly, at the sound of miyeon's voice, minnie's attention was ripped away from the picturesque stars, her eyes now fixating on a more beautiful sight.

"so pretty," minnie echoed softly, eyes focusing on the tender, serene expression on miyeon's face. peace was a beautiful emotion on miyeon, minnie decided then, everything was beautiful on miyeon. as miyeon admired the beautiful stars, minnie admired her beautiful companion ── a scene straight out of one of those korean dramas minnie spent nights crying over. "hey," minnie spoke up once more as miyeon continued to stare out at the city, swinging her legs mindlessly but leaning her head towards minnie now, "you know, you're the first person in korea to get my real surname correct on your first try."

"really?" miyeon replied quietly, an inexplicable distance in her voice that minnie picked up on as she fiddled with the material of the jacket she'd brought along. sure, miyeon was already dressed warmly but she just wanted to be safe, maybe miyeon would get cold?

"yeah," minnie piped up gently, glancing over at miyeon worriedly. the way miyeon's eyes clouded with an unspoken forlorness made minnie's stomach churn, what could possibly be behind the korean's beautiful eyes? "you...um..." minnie faltered uncertainly as miyeon turned over to glance at her, furrowing her eyebrows curiously as minnie quickly averted eye contact, looking down awkwardly, "is there something on your mind? c'mon, space cadet, what's up? you can talk to me..."

"the sky, minnie mouse," miyeon replied quietly as minnie laughed slightly at miyeon's comment, eyes unable to leave her beautiful companion. the sky, minnie thought wistfully as she gazed into miyeon's endearing eyes, even the far distant stars that adorn the sky can't rival your beauty. you're both beautiful, minnie droned on, but your eyes shine, do you know, under the moonlight? you just look so beautiful. unsurprisingly, minnie found herself unable to formulate any sort of coherent response. "what?" miyeon piped up meekly as she turns to face minnie, eyes shyly meeting minnie's as minnie smiles feebly at the pretty girl beside her, "you're staring...why?"

you're so pretty, the words threatened to slip past minnie's lips so she bit down hard, forcing herself not to say them even when they were oh so true and practically dying to come out. i swear you have the whole galaxy in your eyes, i've never felt closer to the far distant stars than when i look into your eyes because oh my god, is there anything in the world within my reach that's half as beautiful as you are?

"n-nothing!" minnie exclaimed hurriedly as she waved her hands frantically, causing miyeon to giggle softly, gaze softening as she looked at minnie so lovingly minnie could melt. how could she ever explain, after all, that miyeon's smile makes her heart stop? how can she ever put into words the things she would do to keep miyeon smiling like she was right now in that moment, to keep miyeon's glassy eyes from ever shedding another tear, to never be sad again? it's like the darkness itself is uncovered and light shone down from heaven itself when the gates of heaven part as miyeon smiled. "just...minnie mouse? really?" minnie chuckled lamely, racking her brain for any sort of excuse that comes to mind as miyeon rolled her eyes fondly at the thai, "so creative, miyeonnie, seriously...how do you do it?"

"shut up," miyeon chastised sternly yet playfully, making minnie snicker under her breath, eliciting a frustrated huff from the korean, "you're making me embarrassed..."

"okay, okay...heaven forbid i upset you," minnie teased gently as miyeon pouted slightly before pursing her lips, dismissively swatting minnie's shoulder. though minnie barely felt a thing, because of course, leave it to princess cho miyeon to hit someone with barely any malice or strength behind her movements. "seriously though," minnie laughed softly as she rubbed her shoulder dramatically as miyeon smiled proudly at her, "what do you see out there that's so much more enthralling than your beautiful company right here?"

"my head's just being loud again."

it's simple and deliberately ambiguous but says more than miyeon's ever said to her ── and minnie can't help but read between the lines, for perhaps this was the closest she'd ever get to the inner workings of miyeon's mysterious mind. it was then that minnie noticed, under the dim moonlight's faint glow, how miyeon's cheeks flushed a mortified red. instinctively, she reached over, placing her hand over miyeon's, causing miyeon to flinch slightly. minnie began to recoil only for miyeon to relax under her touch, hand gradually unclenching as minnie smiled meekly.

"it's just...what you said earlier in the dorm made me think," miyeon admitted shyly as minnie began to mentally kick herself.

"i'm sorry if i made you upset," minnie rushed to apologise, interjecting hurriedly ── god forbid she already get on miyeon's bad side before she's even gotten on her good side ── "i didn't mean to insinuate anything..."

"it's not that, it's just...you know i used to train elsewhere...right?" miyeon replied warily, dipping her head down low awkwardly as minnie nodded uncertainly.

"everyone knows that you used to train at yg," minnie confirmed slowly, unsure where the conversation was heading, "what about it?" when trainees have such phenomenal backstories, it never goes unnoticed ── after all, even when you come from the most unknown company or if you were picked up off the streets, everyone knew your story before they even knew your name; that was merely the world they lived in. minnie heard of the legendary girl who trained at yg for half a decade before she'd even heard whispers of the name cho miyeon.

"just...when you were training, did you ever watch people get eliminated a lot?" suddenly, a shakiness to miyeon's voice that wasn't present before made its presence known as a sinking feeling festers at the pit of minnie's stomach. "like...after the monthly evaluations, how some people would be told to pack up and go home because one subpar performance made the higher-ups say they weren't good enough to stand a chance?"

"not...really?" minnie answered uncertainly, subconsciously nibbling on her bottom lip as she spoke, "i never really watched that happen like up close or anything. even when i first joined cube, i already had soyeon as my friend and i just stuck to her until soojin, yuqi and shuhua came in. and you now."

"you're lucky that you weren't affected by it," miyeon sighed dreamily and a slight bitterness to her tone does not go unnoticed by an ever-vigilant minnie, who paid utmost attention to the way miyeon's line of sight trails slowly from her trembling hands to the daunting skyline beyond. "when i was in yg, i didn't really realise that, you know, the chopping board was like...final. i thought, you know, this is so stupid...but i thought that they ranked us and stuff but you just...come back, you know? like, you just improve and then everyone gets their happy ending when they're ready. stupid, right?" miyeon exhaled shakily as she shook her head dismissively. minnie squeezed the hand below hers tightly, a rush of sympathy and pity surging through her veins ── she's lucky, she's always know it, to have her trainee life run as smoothly as it has. it has never been easy, but it's never been quite like miyeon's either.

"i mean...who wants to think about their best friends going home and getting their dreams dashed?" minnie attempted to console timidly but her efforts seemingly fell flat as miyeon merely shrugged her shoulders apathetically, barely even sparing minnie so much as a glance as she gazed out wistfully at the daunting darkness, "do you still get...scared of losing people? is that why?"

is that why you struggle to open your heart, why you can't seem to trust anyone? minnie wanted so badly to flood her with questions but bit her tongue, feeling the korean's palpable heaviness. soojin and shuhua were right about this inexplicable weight that miyeon carried with her ── minnie just wished she could share even the slightest bit of the burden with miyeon.

"i know the debut is basically promised...but i think that's what makes me even more scared for some reason." the uneasiness behind miyeon's voice made minnie's heart sink ── it's the underlying uncertainty hidden behind otherwise certainty that made miyeon's pain hurt especially much. she squeezed miyeon's hand once more, for miyeon and herself, as miyeon continued quietly. "back at yg, i was gonna debut too you...you know blackpink, right?"

"wait, what?!" the revelation has minnie shellshocked to say the very least.

"yeah, i was in the final lineup." though minnie knew where the story was going from the second miyeon started talking about blackpink, she still couldn't hide her surprise, amazement and sheer shock all blended into one as she stared at miyeon wordlessly. if miyeon could get any further out of her league, this definitely did that. "stop looking so disbelieving," miyeon chided lightly and minnie then realised she'd been gaping at miyeon, mouth opening and closing like a struggling fish. minnie's lips parted once more as she tried to formulate any sliver of a coherent response but she couldn't ── how could she, when miyeon was far too perfect to be real? when someone was ethereal was holding her hand like she never wanted to let go?

"it's not that i don't believe you," minnie finally managed to get out, each syllable breathier than the last, "it's just...wow."

"yeah, that was supposed to be me," miyeon confessed bitterly, poignant defeat lacing her tone that made minnie's heart hurt for the other girl's agony as she tightened her grasp on miyeon's hand, so tight she worried momentarily that maybe she would turn miyeon's fingers blue. but that all became a secondary concern when a strangled sob slipped past miyeon's chapped lips, prompting minnie to squeeze even tighter.

"c-can i ask what happened or is that dumb?" minnie wasn't quite sure what approach to take ── should she continue gaping at miyeon in shock or should she let slip the monsoon of questions just begging to slip past her quivering lips? should she hold miyeon close and whisper that it's okay to cry or should she crack a few lame jokes in vain hope of making miyeon smile? how do you hold the heart of the one you hold dearest to your own when their heart is in fragments? how do you love someone who doesn't dare to be loved?

"i fell in love...or at least i thought i was in love." and there it is: the revelation minnie could've never seen coming. she could've ── in the sense that it's impossible that people have never fallen in love with minnie ── but she also couldn't have, because...there's people out there worthy of miyeon's love? minnie found that hard to believe. "i don't know," miyeon continued sheepishly, dipping her head down shyly as she spoke, pace increasingly speeding up as she rambled on, "i spent so much time away from the actual world that the more i reflect, the more i feel like i just fell at the feet of the first person who called me pretty."

it was scary, really, almost unnerving how miyeon still mustered a laugh even as she aired her dirty laundry to minnie. it was terrifying, really, to think of all the times that miyeon masked her anguish with feigned amusement and forced laughter. it was perfect, picture perfect, on the surface but as minnie listened closer, she could hear the way miyeon's laughter hitched awkwardly in her throat, how hollow and empty it truly sounded. if minnie's heart could hurt any more, it would.

"there's no way nobody else thought you were pretty," minnie blurted out before she could stop herself. she protested indignantly before she could catch herself, the words slipping past as miyeon arched a curious brow in her direction. minnie noticed and tried to backtrack but she couldn't ── not when she was staring into miyeon's alluring brown eyes and her brain couldn't come close to fathoming how anyone could steal the heart of someone who perfect. "are they blind?!"

"well, whatever, he was the first."

minnie's already fuzzy brain short-circuited at that, particularly at the sour feeling the pronoun left in minnie's mouth when she heard it slip past miyeon's lips. he? oh my fucking god, of course she's fucking straight, minnie cursed mentally, internally kicking herself for being ridiculously infatuated with a pretty (and horrendously straight) korean girl who would probably want nothing to do with her if she found out. so minnie bit her tongue and nodded stiffly, watching as miyeon's beautiful eyes glazed over with an unspoken forlornness minnie had only ever seen in movies.

she looked like this talking about some stupid bastard who clearly had shit in his eyes if he didn't realise what he had in front of him, because who the hell gives up somebody who looks at them like they hold the world when all they do is ruin everything good and beautiful? miyeon, that's who, minnie realised painfully as her heart contracted sharply for the lovelorn girl, who looked more broken than minnie had ever seen anyone look. maybe that's what love does to you, it hit minnie, and just like that, maybe she didn't want to fall in love anymore.

but it was far too late because she was so far gone: it was blatantly obvious with the way that with every shaky breath that miyeon let out, minnie felt her heart shattering into tinier pieces by the second.

"and i loved him so much...that i gave up everything i'd ever worked for because i thought he would do the same," miyeon squeaked out softly, her voice lowered to a meek whisper that made minnie just want to wrap her in bubble wrap and protect her from every evil person out there trying to trample on her tender heart that she just had to wear on her sleeve. anyone who hurt miyeon beyond this point, minnie knew, would face her wrath, because the world was far too cruel for someone as pure as miyeon. minnie decided then and there she would be miyeon's guardian angel; keep her from heartache and keep her safe.

"i'm sorry that happened to you," minnie voiced carefully. don't cry is what minnie really wanted to say, don't waste any of your tears on a man so unworthy of even a glance his way, let alone your love. smile, minnie wanted to implore desperately when she saw the tears pooling in miyeon's watery eyes, please smile just like you were when we first stepped out here and you looked so liberated because the ache festering in my heart multiplies tenfold when i see you cry. but she can't say any of that ── so she held back her words. "please," minnie begged quietly, "don't cry...because then i'll cry too and i don't want you to see me cry."

"i-i'm not crying," miyeon insisted as convincingly as she could but minnie knew better than to fall for miyeon's perfectly crafted facade ── she could hear the way miyeon's face wavered, just slightly, as she spoke. she could feel miyeon's hands shaking beneath her own, which made minnie feel her heart clench. "n-no, i'm just cold," miyeon continued prattling on lamely and all minnie could do was nod slowly, removing her hand gently as miyeon turned to her in betrayed confusion, making minnie's heart soften as she hurriedly grabbed the jacket she'd taken from their room earlier.

"here...i had a gut feeling that this would come in handy," minnie piped up shyly as she draped the jacket gingerly over miyeon's trembling shoulders, resting her hands gently on miyeon's shoulders to give her a light squeeze before she placed her hands back on miyeon's reassuringly. "feeling better now?" minnie asked hopefully, "warmer at least?"

miyeon nodded slowly, a timid laugh escaping her pursed lips and oh, even that slight giggle was music to minnie's ears ── she definitely liked the sound of miyeon laughing a million times more than the sound of miyeon choking back tears; wherever miyeon needed to be to smile like that, whatever she needed, minnie would give to her. minnie beamed back at her, hoping that her gestures could say everything she couldn't find the words for ── please don't endure the pain alone, just take my hand.

"thank you, minnie," miyeon whispered meekly as she leaned closer to minnie, making minnie's heart pound in her chest.

"any time, miyeonnie," minnie replied kindly, putting the rest of her words into a simple squeeze of miyeon's hand (oh, she had so much more to say), "you don't have to feel alone anymore. trying to open your heart up back to people must be really scary but...you know...i'm not him. i'm not gonna play with your heart like he did."

minnie really hoped miyeon believed her.

"jinhyeong," miyeon chimed in and any hope blossoming in minnie's chest came crashing down the second miyeon whispered that name with such reverence, such love, "his name is jinhyeong."

okay, but did i ask, minnie nearly blurted out but she stopped herself, nope, you will not get jealous over some dude who's probably washed up and ugly and so much shittier than you are. besides, he's out of the picture now, she consoled herself slightly, with the way he hurt miyeon, he should be out of the picture forever.

"n-not that it matters," miyeon rushed to amend sheepishly.

"it's cool, i wanna know more about you anyway," minnie answered stiffly after a brief moment's hesitance ── after all, it wasn't miyeon's fault that she was so irrationally upset; it was her own for falling so hopelessly for someone she barely even knew. "even your dopey ex's name is still something about your past, i guess," minnie added with a dry chuckle.

"it's no longer relevant anyway," miyeon added benevolently, glancing over at minnie shyly as minnie hurriedly composed herself, not wanting to possibly make miyeon any more upset, "he's in the past now, it's not like i'm still talking to him."

"would you?" minnie couldn't stop herself ── she just had to know.

"what?"

"talk to him...if you still could," minnie explained before she could chicken out, "like if you had your phone with you now."

"i don't know," miyeon replied truthfully after stopping to ponder for a while. minnie used that time to examine the adorable way miyeon knitted her brows when she thought, how she scrunched up her nose whenever she paused to rack her brain. "on more...sentimental days, i think i would," miyeon admitted sheepishly as she continued talking, "if he caught me on a bad day, i don't think i would. i think as time passes, i'm learning to bear the weight of the hurt he's left behind. if i keep glancing back at him, i won't ever be able to move on, right? no point grieving what is no longer mine."

miyeon's response was too diplomatic for someone whose hurt ran so palpably deep ── minnie couldn't help but fixate on how miyeon instinctively answered with a scenario where she would give him the time of day. minnie was a romantic, yes, but she also knew better than to delude herself ── and all signs, in that moment, suggested that miyeon's love would be harder to win over than she'd expected.

"do you get scared too?" miyeon asked suddenly as minnie looked up to stare at her curiously, "of what life will be like after we debut? or...you know...touch wood...if we don't."

"i moved to korea alone when i was seventeen," minnie shared quietly as she stared down at her fingers. she didn't want to cry, not now, she couldn't afford to shed any tears ── not when this wasn't about her but rather about miyeon. "i don't think there's anything scarier than moving to a country where you can't understand a single word and you feel like you've just moved to mars. or at least that's what i tell myself when i get scared: that there's always something scarier out there that i've conquered," minnie finished resolutely as miyeon surprised her by intertwining their fingers tightly.

"you're brave," miyeon whispered reverently as minnie glanced up at miyeon amusedly to find the korean girl staring at her shyly, "i don't think i could ever do what you did, that's...so crazy."

"people do crazy things when they have dreams, right?" minnie answered thoughtfully, laughing lightly as miyeon mustered a timid giggle of her own. minnie leaned closer to her companion, finding herself relaxing against miyeon as she rested her hand gingerly on miyeon's knee, the korean placing her gentle, soft hands over minnie's.

"being here with you," miyeon mumbled shyly as she rested her head on minnie's shoulder, "feels so liberating." and to say minnie's heart stopped when miyeon whispered those words was an understatement ── minnie felt her entire body turn into jelly as she forced herself to keep it together externally while she screamed at the top of her lungs internally.

"i'm glad you're in better spirits now, noodles," minnie replied teasingly as miyeon blinked back at her in confusion, "what?"

"n-noodles?" miyeon sputtered meekly as minnie laughed loudly, genuinely, freely.

"yeah, you know, myeon, miyeon, sounds the same to the untrained ear. myeon was the first word i learnt in korean actually, thanks to soyeon and a really grumpy cafeteria lady," minnie recounted with a snicker as she remembered stammering over the simplest of syllables at the front of the cafeteria line as she was stared down unflinchingly by an intimidating cafeteria lady who nearly made her pee her pants. it was soyeon who stepped in, helping her order a bowl of noodles and minnie's stomach was full that day, but her heart even fuller. "when you first introduced yourself to us, you spoke so softly i actually thought you said your name was myeon."

"shut up!" miyeon cried out indignantly as she pushed minnie's shoulder dramatically, causing minnie to double over exaggeratedly. miyeon's punch hadn't hurt in the slightest, minnie was sure miyeon's hands were made of feathers with how negligible the impact of her hand against minnie's shoulder was but still, she entertained miyeon's ineffectual violence with her dramatics. "i was s-shy, okay?" miyeon stammered cutely as she dipped her head down shyly, "and scared! you guys knew each other for years and i was just waltzing in..."

"trust me, we were more scared of you. yuqi thought you were a new scary dance instructor," minnie retorted teasingly as she smirked cockily at a blushing miyeon, "thank god you're you, though...i don't think i could've taken another dance instructor ready to kill me when i forget which one is left and which is right in korean. i also would be a lot less sane if i was left alone with the little ones any longer."

"soojin isn't even that much younger than you are," miyeon replied snarkily as minnie cracked a small smile ── so she did pay attention to them. even when she was so shy, so introverted and so timid, so seemingly closed off, she listened.

"not the same as having a friend my age though," minnie could only muster ── she didn't want to let miyeon in on the hold those few words had on her, "we're friends now...right? i can say that?"

"call it what you want, minnie mouse," miyeon answered playfully as minnie swatted the elder's shoulder lightly as they both burst into laughter that filled the silent night.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

"do you ever want to run away?" miyeon's lips trembled as she asked the question timidly from where she stayed curled up against minnie. miyeon looked so small, minnie acknowledged, bundled up in minnie's jacket that was a size too big for her slightly smaller frame; a far cry from the confident superstar aura she exuded whenever she showed up for the group practices in her crop tops and fishnets. though after tonight, minnie knew better than to judge miyeon based off a perfect facade that must've taken years to perfect. pain does that to you, minnie realised, when the elder gave her split seconds to catch glimpses of the broken girl hiding behind a front of mock bravado and confidence.

"from this trainee life or...?" minnie replied uncertainly, trailing off sheepishly as she watched miyeon's eyes wander off once more.

"i was thinking, more like the rigidity of the world itself," miyeon chimed in thoughtfully as she dipped her head down timidly ── every second, every word, miyeon took minnie by greater surprise. "sometimes everything just feels so...restricting and the world gets so loud and heavy and i just want to run away," miyeon admitted breathily, exhaling shakily as she shrugged defeatedly. heavy, minnie thought as she saw the way miyeon leaned against her tiredly, her mind must be so heavy.

"that's a tall order, noodles," minnie mumbled quietly as miyeon sighed under her breath, shaking her head dismissively as her shoulders sagged, causing minnie to pout as she adjusted the jacket resting on miyeon's shoulders, "but...i'll try for you."

"what?"

"i want to see you happy," minnie explained simply as she smiled sweetly at miyeon, who could only stare at her with widened doe eyes, "i'd run with you, just say the word and i'll pack my bags." so sue her for her theatrics but it was much more than theatrics to minnie ── minnie meant every word she was saying, dramatic or not. it was just the cherry on top to see miyeon go slack-jawed, to know her words were resonating with the korean. minnie smiled at her kindly as miyeon's lips curled upwards in a sheepish smile. "though...i think you should do this for yourself," minnie continued softly. "i mean, you're the one at the helm of your own ship, right? the one behind the wheel of your own car? i think that...if you have a dream and even if that dream isn't on life's traditional road, just go for it."

"that's what i told myself when i tried for yg in middle school," miyeon confessed with a broken laugh as minnie smiled sympathetically. she couldn't pretend to understand miyeon's past ── she couldn't imagine what her life would be like if she'd lost out on her high school yearsm let alone her middle school ones. to imagine that her past few years of training made up miyeon's life ever since she was a bright-eyed kid in middle school made minnie's head spin. she gazed into miyeon's eyes thoughtfully ── eyes are the window to the soul after all ── but miyeon remained unreadable. "i chose to be a trainee even though it was so...unorthodox, you know? my parents thought it was a phase but look at me now, i've spent so much time training and...waiting," miyeon trailed off quietly, biting her bottom lip timidly.

"do you regret it?" minnie questioned softly.

"sometimes, yeah," miyeon confessed sadly, blinking rapidly as minnie's smile wavered seeing miyeon so tormented ── it wasn't often she saw miyeon's facade crack and got to see the human side of miyeon, the vulnerable side of this picture perfect angel so seeing miyeon so cut up made minnie hurt in ways she didn't know a heart could hurt. "life would be easier, maybe, if i'd just stayed in school and gotten a normal job and been a normal person," miyeon admitted sheepishly as minnie nodded along uncertainly, "but i've never regretted it enough to actually quit. even when i stopped training under companies, i still found myself...with a microphone in hand or fingers on piano tiles or guitar strings...anything to refine my craft because music is still what calls to me the loudest."

"then...i think you're right where you're meant to be." minnie sound herself fumbling for a reply, unsure of what to say to a girl so broken, so tormented and so hurt ── so she settled for something short but sweet, something she hoped would say more than what she could muster the courage to say. "but hey, when everything feels like a mess, remember this, us, right now, today. i'll always be on your team, noodles, i'm always be by your side now, you don't have to fight your battles alone. you don't have to endure everything alone anymore, you can trust me."

"thanks, minnie mouse," miyeon piped up, cheeks all flustered but thankfully shrouded by her saviour, the night sky. minnie looked over tenderly at the girl resting her head on her shoulder, smiling fondly at her, wondering if she could ever convince miyeon, even for a moment, to stop amidst the fast-paced world and just rest. rest her head on miyeon's shoulder, rest her heart in minnie's hands so they could escape to each other. she wondered if the way she let miyeon relax against her, the way she held miyeon's hand, said more than she dared to let miyeon know: that she'd take miyeon anywhere, go anywhere miyeon asked of her, all other thoughts vanishing.

"i have to admit," miyeon continued shyly, "sometimes i feel like i just jumped at cube's offer because i'd already spent so many years slaving away at that torture chamber...and you know, it would amount to nothing if i didn't debut someday. so...i just auditioned for cube and i took getting the offer as a sign to keep investing my energy in trying to get my big break."

"if you do think like that, that's sunk cost fallacy," minnie replied thoughtfully, tapping the base of her chin gently as miyeon tilted her head sideways in confusion. "it's an economics..." minnie began but halted midway when she noticed she'd lost miyeon since she started, "never mind. sometimes...i forget that you've been training since you were a kid."

"and i don't have yuqi's brain either," miyeon chimed in with a light laugh that made minnie snicker softly under her breath as she smiled sincerely at miyeon, who grinned happily at her, "so forgive me, senpai, if i can't understand your big words."

"it's like...you tell yourself because you've already spent this much blood, sweat and tears on something, it only makes sense to keep going so that your efforts will come to fruition. but like, that's not how it works," minnie explained kindly as miyeon laughed nervously with each word that minnie said.

"well, now i feel attacked," miyeon giggled feebly as minnie squeezed her hand in assurance.

"i don't think you're like that though," minnie amended shyly, unable to meet miyeon's eyes as she spoke, "i think you're still chasing your dreams and that's way more admirable than being a mindless subscriber to some illogical fallacy. don't reduce your dreams, miyeonnie, listen to your heart."

"i feel like you know me better than i know myself," miyeon blurted cutely. minnie laughed at that, knowing there was so much more left to uncover about the mysterious girl. "thank you...for tonight," miyeon mumbled shyly, eliciting an even wider smile from minnie.

"feel less alone?" minnie mused fondly.

"yeah...and something tells me that i won't have to feel alone ever again."

"stop calling me a thing, noodles," minnie retorted childishly as miyeon rolled her eyes in response just as childishly, causing them to both snicker softly.

"i was trying to be poetic."

"you're not good at it."

"shut up, minnie mouse!"

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minnie held miyeon close as the breeze tickled her cheeks, stray strands of hair caressing the curve of her cheeks as miyeon snuggled closer to her, dozing off as she continued to talk sleepily ── they talked about just about everything, anything and everything from miyeon's life back in incheon to miyeon's theory that minnie's parents were absolute disney fanatics since they named her minnie and her brother mic (which miyeon convinced herself was short for mickey mouse). they talked like they'd known each other for years as minnie rested her head atop miyeon's, miyeon's head never leaving minnie's welcoming shoulder.

minnie squeezed miyeon's right knee whenever the korean delved deeper into bittersweet stories of her time in yg ── eating kimchi almost every day with a girl named lisa because they didn't really have much else to eat, playing guitar with a girl from australia named chaeyoung, learning english from her very first friend in yg, jennie and staying up till the wee hours of the morning trying to perfect her monthly evaluation with her jisoo unnie ── and miyeon laughed in perfect harmony with minnie whenever minnie recounted her times in high school: from being asked out by a boy in front of the entire school and saying yes out of pity despite having no interest in boys whatsoever to cutting classes with her best friends and ducking under the broken fencing whenever they heard the unmistakable sound of a beckoning air horn from a security guard.

minnie hummed a lullaby in her native tongue as miyeon relaxed against her, leaning against minnie fully as minnie kept her left arm wrapped around miyeon's frame, holding the korean close to her.

"hey...let's go to bed, hm?" minnie whispered softly as she looked over to find miyeon's eyes closing, "noodles?" when miyeon didn't respond, minnie smiled meekly, standing gingerly as she guided miyeon up on her feet.

"minnie?" miyeon rubbed her eyes blearily, voice hoarse with sleepiness but she remained so adorable that minnie just wanted to hold her close and never let her go. instead, minnie placated the babbling baby with a tender shush, adjusting the jacket so it fit miyeon's body snugly as she began draping miyeon's arms over her own taller frame. "w-where are we going?"

"back to the dorm, noodles, you gotta get some sleep, your eyes are closing already," minnie whispered fondly as she slipped an arm around miyeon's waist gingerly, supporting the sleepy korean as best she could.

"okay," miyeon replied, easily content, "i'm sleepy, minnie," minnie laughed at that, gently manuveuring them towards the door as she slowly guided them down the stairs, nearly dying of a heart attack right then and there whenever miyeon tripped over her own feet and nearly sent them both tumbling down the stairs.

"i know, princess," minnie cooed lovingly before she could stop herself, "but keep your pretty eyes open for at least a few more minutes, okay? i just need to get you inside the dorm and up into your bunk, alright?"

"okay," miyeon agreed obediently as minnie did the best she could to get them back to the dorm without unleashing the wrath of whichever demonic dorm keeper was on the loose that night (heaven forbid it be the eighth floor unnie), minnie shuddered just thinking about it as she practically dragged miyeon along the corridor, only able to heave a much-need sigh of relief when she finally reached the dorm door.

"we're here," minnie exhaled exhaustedly as she opened their door just wide enough to push a practically asleep miyeon inside, slipping inside on her own before closing it swiftly behind her as quietly as she could, hurriedly wrapping her arm back around miyeon's waist to steady the korean girl. "easy," minnie murmured softly under her breath as she guided miyeon to the best of her ability in the dark. she praised her lucky stars for an otherworldly level of estimation skills that helped her get miyeon's hands around the handles of the ladder before she switched her tiny torchlight on, gently coaxing miyeon's weary frame up the ladder with patient coos.

"yep, just lie down," minnie coaxed patiently as miyeon flopped down on her bed unceremoniously, far from elegant but adorable as minnie lifted up the covers and gently laid them down, tucking miyeon in without being asked. "good night, miyeonnie."

"minnie?" miyeon mumbled sleepily as minnie teetered on the second last rung, adjusting the blanket as she smiled sweetly at miyeon.

"yeah?"

"thank you," miyeon murmured softly, eyelids already half shut as minnie chuckled under her breath fondly when she saw miyeon battling exhaustion just to say thank you ── her heart melted when miyeon's lips parted in a sleepy half-smile.

"any time, noodles," minnie replied quietly as she watched miyeon's eyelids flutter shut almost instantaneously, causing her to laugh once more. she continued balancing on the rung of the ladder, leaning over to press a gentle, shy kiss to miyeon's forehead. "when everything feels like a mess," minnie whispered under her breath as she cupped her shaking hands around miyeon's ear, "always remember today, alright? because i'll always be by your side, for as long as you'll let me be."

"i really hope that's forever," minnie added breathlessly as she stumbled down the ladder and collapsed unceremoniously onto her mattress, grabbing her post-its and pen as she tumbled onto the mattress. she clicked the pen, smiling to herself as she began scribbling.

for the record, i meant it when i said i'd go anywhere if you asked me to, Mi Yeon.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

"minnie nicha yontararak!"

none other than song yuqi's ever melodic (read: thunderous) screaming was minnie's beautiful alarm clock that morning as minnie rubbed her weary eyes, barely able to keep her eyes open. it felt like she'd just fallen asleep (she probably did ── when she'd glanced over at the digital alarm clock resting on yuqi and soyeon's nightstand as she dragged her exhausted corpse of a body under her covers, she'd noticed a glaring 4:44 staring back at her ── and if she remembered her schedule right, she and yuqi had some korean intensive program that morning that began at...7 am sharp) but one more shriek from yuqi and perhaps even miyeon wouldn't be able to sleep through that, so minnie sat up slowly, blinking away her exhaustion as her tired eyes focused sleepily on yuqi.

"morning," minnie mumbled blearily as yuqi cocked her head sideways sharply, eyes narrowing at minnie's visible sleepiness, "sorry, top of the morning to you, miss song, may i ask why you're judging me in the wee hours of the morning?"

"you look like a bus ran over you," yuqi mumbled blandly as she thrust a t-shirt and sweatpants into minnie's hands, eyes narrowing at minnie's morning confusion, "we don't have much time to change later, we have only half an hour between the korean intensive and our vocal class, then no break before dance class so you gotta wear something comfortable you can dance in. come, we have to go, we have fifteen minutes before the program starts and we still have to sign in and collect our materials."

"you are such a nerd, do you know that?" minnie replied flatly as she snatched the clothes from yuqi, kicking her covers off her body as she lumbered towards the toilet blearily, nearly tripping over her own feet when her snarky remark earned her a hard shove on the shoulder from a peeved yuqi, "okay, okay, sorry miss perfect grades, i'm coming."

"i had half the mind to leave without you and let you face the wrath of miss jang, maybe i should've," yuqi quipped bitterly as minnie blew yuqi an air kiss before closing the bathroom door behind her, tossing off the clothes she'd worn to sleep and hurriedly pulling on the clothes yuqi had picked for her, knowing that taking her own sweet time would mean that yuqi would kick up a bigger fuss and they might wake up miyeon. though soyeon's morning schedule was cleared, she was already out of bed, minnie presumed, probably holed up in her studio composing like the disgusting early bird she was. soyeon was an interesting paradox, minnie thought as she brushed her teeth with one hand and combed her hair with the other, their fearless captain was both a night owl and an early bird; minnie and yuqi managed to convince shuhua soyeon didn't need sleep because she was an android for a reason.

"i'm ready, i'm ready," minnie called out mid-yawn as she staggered out of the bathroom, hair tied in a messy ponytail and clothes sticking out in weird places, but put together enough to show up for their morning class, "let's go."

"you could use more grooming than a stray dog that hasn't seen a brush in years," yuqi commented teasingly as she handed minnie her backpack, the two playfully nudging each other as they walked towards the elevator to go to the designated floor for their korean classes. they'd meet shuhua outside so the three of them could get seats together, they'd planned the night before at their team dinner. "seriously though, how long were you and miyeon unnie out there for? i heard you guys come back...like what, like five minutes before my alarm went off?"

"no one asks you to set your alarm at 5 am, yuqi," minnie replied tiredly, yawning once more as yuqi practically shoved the older's lethargic body into the lift before stepping in calmly herself, pressing the button before turning her attention back to the older, whose mouth was half-open once more into yet another yawn. "and yeah, miyeonnie and i stayed out talking for a while, i think i finally got her to open up to me."

"i saw your cute little love letter on the nightstand," yuqi remarked jokingly as minnie's eyes flew open, now more alert than she'd been all morning as she practically lunged at yuqi, backing the chinese into the side of the lift. she could've sworn she felt the lift clatter with her violent lunging but she couldn't give a damn ── not when she had murder on the mind. "relax, relax," yuqi sputtered out with a chuckle, eyebrows raising just slightly as she raised her hands in mock surrender, "easy there, tiger, i didn't open the letter, i'm not that nosy."

"right..." minnie replied dryly as she glared yuqi down, "don't touch my shit, brat."

"i didn't!" yuqi protested indignantly as minnie finally released her when the ding of the elevator informed them that they'd reached their desired floor, "i was walking over to wake you and the cute little green paper caught my eye."

"stop calling it cute, it's patronising," minnie deadpanned emotionlessly as she sulkily walked towards the conference room, yuqi skipping beside her, "and it's not a love letter. it's just a friendly...exchange, like you would with a penpal. she's our dormmate, you know, and if all goes to plan, she's our future member...so it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her."

"and where was my love letter from the bottom of that black heart of yours when i first joined?" yuqi retorted tauntingly as minnie scoffed under her breath, ignoring yuqi as she walked ahead to greet shuhua instead, "all i'm saying is, you go, girl, miyeon unnie is totally pretty and she's definitely your type."

"i do not have a type! and how the heck would you know if i have one?!" minnie practically yelled at yuqi, those fiery words the greeting a confused shuhua received as she blinked back at minnie in confusion. "oh, um, hey, shuhua...sorry about that, yuqi's being particularly bratty this morning."

"figures," shuhua replied with a deceptively innocent smile, "morning, minnie unnie."

"and minnie has a particularly large crowbar up her ass this morning," yuqi snapped in response before flicking her hair over her shoulder and strolling inside the room, minnie and shuhua trailing after her, "hey, shu."

"figures," shuhua echoed once more, a sigh of resignation accompanying her words as she walked behind yuqi, "hi, yuqi."

"you know, i should be yuqi unnie to you too, punk."

"unnie is for someone i respect, soojinnie taught me that."

"wait, so you respect minnie unnie and not me?!"

"no shit, sherlock."

"yah! you take that back right now, yeh shuhua!"

knowing better than to interject in the middle of one of the maknaes' many tiffs that happened daily, minnie let her mind wander back to the pretty korean girl she'd tucked under the covers just hours before. miyeon was probably deep in her slumber, dancing across her dreamscape ── minnie smiled at that thought, miyeon always looked so serene and comforted in her sleep, nowhere as troubled as the look that crossed her face when minnie came to learn of the people who'd butchered her heart mercilessly.

i'll take care of you, minnie vowed mentally, i'll be right by your side. i know it gets heavy, so you can put it down for a bit whenever i'm with you, i promise i'll always take care of you, noodles, i won't let anybody hurt you the way he did.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

and when an exhausted minnie stumbled into her dorm in desperate search of her precious deodorant that she'd forgotten, she found a baby pink post-it resting in the place her light green one had been in just that morning. body already jittery with adrenaline, minnie picked up the piece of paper with shaking fingers.

could she...have actually written back?

minnie's heart pounded with anticipation as she hurriedly unfolded the note, a small smile tugging on her lips.

sawadika, nicha yontararak ~

here's the note you're so desperately begging for (this response is not forced at all!)
jokes aside, your note was sweet & i can't wait to go everywhere with you ʚ♡ɞ

(/˶•﹏• ˶\)
づ ♥️ ⊂

- Mi Yeon (i'll sign my name off the way you write it, it looks rather pretty romanised)
(p.s. do you like my rabbit? i think it's cute & i like rabbits a lot ── you can be minnie mouse and i'll be a bunny! what do you think about that?)
(p.p.s. i think fate can be a beautiful thing sometimes, don't you? also, don't tease me for the thai greeting, i thought it might be cute ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ )

minnie smiled brightly to herself after reading that note, tracing a gentle finger across the outline of miyeon's adorable doodle. though she was weary and borderline delirious from her lack of sleep, minnie felt her heart swell with silent pride and she knew that would be enough to tide her through what was to be an excruciating few hours of dance practice ── she'd get to see her cute bunny anyway, why wouldn't she be suddenly energised?

quickly, she picked up a pen of her own, scribbling down a response back to her new friend before she has to run off to dance class. hopefully, miyeon coming back to the note will just as comforting to her as the green post-it minnie clutched tightly in her right hand.

maybe the future doesn't look so gloomy after all...

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