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Nayeon's eyes scanned the different types of snacks, trying to remember which ones her sister liked. She glanced at the toddler beside her every few seconds, keeping an eye on him as he studied all the cereals he could see with his small stature.
"Nayeon?" A voice called-one she hadn't heard in years, but she was able to recognize immediately.
"Jihyo." She answered before turning to face her.
"How long have you been back in Korea?" Jihyo asked, her tone a mix of surprise and something sharper.
"We um... we just arrived a couple of days ago." Nayeon replied, oddly nervous. Are the other members here? "How... How have you been?"
"Good, I've been good." Jihyo looked deep into Nayeon's eyes. "What happened, unnie? You just disappeared, no explanation, nothing. It's been what? Four years? And not a word from you." Her expression softened. "I missed you. We all missed you."
"I missed you guys too." Nayeon didn't really know what else to say. "It's...uh, actually been around three years."
"Are you back? For good?"
"I'm not sure yet, there's some stuff I-" Nayeon was interrupted by little footsteps.
"Mama! Mama!" A little boy barreled into Nayeon's legs, clutching a cereal box almost as big as him.
Nayeon froze for a second before forcing a smile "Is this the one you want? Good job, baby!" She ruffled his hair, drawing giggles, then picked him up so he was eye level with both adults. "Jaehyun-ah, this is Jihyo. Jihyo, this is my son."
Jihyo'a eyes flickered between them, shock clearly written all over her face. However, she snapped out of it quickly.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you! What's your name?"
The boy buried his face in Nayeon's neck, still holding the cereal box tightly.
"J.. hyu..."Came some muffled sounds.
"Jaehyun! That's your name, right?" Nayeon encouraged him but he simply gave a small nod.
"That's such a cool name!" Jihyo cheered.
"T'anks" he peeked with one eye and finally looked at Jihyo, who took the chance to ask another question.
"How old are you, Jaehyun?"
The boy said nothing, so Nayeon intervened.
"Can you tell her how old you are?"
"-'m woo" his voice still came muffled.
"Show her with your fingers" Nayeon plucked the cereal box from his grip.
Jaehyun understood and proudly held up three fingers.
"You're still two, buddy. Put one finger down." Nayeon gave Jihyo a quick glance and said in a lower voice. "We're working on it."
He did as he was told and announced "Am two!"
"Wow! Two? That's awesome!"
Quick footsteps where soon heard approaching them, and both women turned.
"Yah! We're about to leave, what's taking you-" Jeongyeon stopped in her tracks, her pack of candies hitting the floor.
She opened and closed her mouth like a fish before whispering a weak "N-nayeon".
"Jeongyeon." Nayeon replied, her voice dangerously close to cracking.
"Hi." The toddler spoke and Jeongyeon was suddenly very aware of his presence.
"Hi..." She managed.
An uncomfortable silence enveloped them and Jihyo spoke after a few seconds to break it "Jeongyeon! This is Jaehyun, isn't that a cool name?" She said trying to ease the sudden tension.
Jeongyeon blinked a couple of times, switching her focus between the three pair of eyes staring at her, one nostalgic, one worried and one curious.
"Y-yeah. That's... great."
"I should go." Nayeon blurted, tossing the cereal box into her cart and buckling Jaehyun in. "We still have a lot of things to buy. Sorry for taking up so much of your time." she excused herself quickly, ducking into another aisle before any of the girls could even say a proper goodbye.
As she walked away, a thousand emotions surged through her, but she was in public, with her son, and she hadn't lied about the shopping. There would be time for a breakdown later-just not here, not now.
"Nayeon! Wait!"
She hesitated, then stopped, waiting for the younger girl to catch up.
"Yes?"
Jihyo gently touched her arm, turning her around. "Can I have your number? I'd like to see you again, catch up. And I know the girls would too, specially Jeongyeon."
Nayeon bit her lip. This is a bad idea.
"Sure." She took Jihyo's phone and saved her recently acquired number under 'Nayeonie <3', she couldn't help herself. Her former leader always gave her a sense of familiarity, having basically grown up together, along with Jeongyeon. "There you go."
Jihyo took the phone back and typed something. A second later, Nayeon's pocket vibrated.
"Seriously?" Nayeon raised an eyebrow.
"I had to make sure. Sorry." Jihyo shrugged, offering a guilty smile.
"No, it's fine. I get it." She laughed, pulling out her own phone to save Jihyo's number. She flashed her the screen. "There. Saved yours too."
"I'll call you, okay?"
"And I'll be waiting, Ji"
"I'll leave you both to your shopping now. Take care,yeah?" The younger hesitated, then pulled her into a tight hug.
"You too." Nayeon murmured, hugging her back, emotions almost drowning her. "It was... really nice seeing you."
Jihyo pulled away and smiled at the toddler sucking his thumb in the cart.
"Bye, Jaehyunnie!" She waved at him.
"Bye-bye!" He waved, grinning with tiny, bunny-like teeth. So unmistakably Nayeo's.
The girl walked away and Nayeon was left again only with her son.
Yup, this was definitely a bad idea.
She'd hoped to run into her former members. But not like this, not so soon. Would they even want to ser her again? What if they still resented her?
And Jeongyeon... Jesus Christ. Seeing her after all these years unlocked something visceral. A voice in Nayeon's head screaming at her to run, change her number and vanish all over again.
But she couldn't. Not forever.
She has to face them all someday: her former members, her son's father... and her. Jeongyeon.