Chapter Text
Dahyun
Dahyun placed a large box in the room— her room. Her new room inside the home of a girl she barely knew. Or two girls, to be exact.
“This is the last of them!” Jihyo wiggled a small box in the air before setting it down. “You’re officially all moved in!”
“Thanks again for letting me stay here for a bit.” Dahyun had already thanked Jihyo multiple times, but she didn’t know what else to say. What does one say to the friend of a friend she’d met literally once before moving in?
“Don’t mention it.” Jihyo waved her hand and tsked at Dahyun as if this were an everyday occurrence. “We have too many rooms in this house, so I’m glad one of them is getting some use.”
It was a large house—more like a mini mansion, to be exact. On the house tour Jihyo gave her, she counted at least five other bedrooms in addition to her own. All of them had stuff in them, too, which struck Dahyun as odd. Only Chaeyoung and Jihyo lived here.
“Oh, I have a rent check for you!” Dahyun wanted to smack herself in the head for not remembering sooner. She scrambled to find her purse. Chaeyoung liked to tease her when she paid for things with cash or checks at the coffee shop Chaeyoung worked at. Dahyun could practically hear her saying Okay, you grandma, as she handed over exact change for her typical hot chocolate.
“You don’t have to worry about it right now,” Jihyo said with a chuckle. “I know you’re good for the money. Chaeyoung has told us a lot about you. She said you’re very serious, determined, and dedicated.”
Dahyun blushed. Chaeyoung had been talking about her? She wondered how Chaeyoung gleaned these personality traits from the few times they hung out. Between Chaeyoung’s job as a barista, with all of its sporadic hours, and Dahyun’s as a pharmacist, with all of its long hours, they’d only hung out a handful of times outside of Dahyun’s daily visits to the cafe.
“That’s very nice of her,” Dahyun said, hoping Jihyo didn’t see how flustered she was.
“Take some time to yourself, okay? I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Jihyo paused in the doorway, her mouth ticking up into a very genuine smile. “Welcome to the Park-Yoo household, Dahyun. It’s great to have you here.”
Park-Yoo household? I thought Chaeyoung’s last name was Son, Dahyun thought as Jihyo left. She shook off her confusion and turned to the task at hand: setting up her room.
She scanned the contents, which weren’t much and not entirely hers. None of the furniture was her own—all of her stuff was now in a storage unit or with her former roommate, Somi. When Somi got a job offer in another city that paid nearly double her current salary, Dahyun couldn’t blame her for up and leaving within two weeks. But Dahyun also couldn’t avoid the fact that 1) she herself was in some considerable debt from pharmacy school and 2) said debt and the sudden lack of a roommate meant no more apartment for her.
She hadn’t planned on telling anyone. Dahyun’s plan was to find a cheaper place, but it turned out there weren’t any cheaper places that didn’t look straight out of a horror movie. As the clock counted down closer and closer to the day she had to move out, she felt the panic surging in her. Chaeyoung happened to catch her in the midst of a wave of panic on her morning hot chocolate run.
“Hey,” Chaeyoung said with an easy smile as Dahyun stepped up to the counter. “How’s it hanging?”
“Horrible, Chae. It’s hanging horribly.” Dahyun took a deep breath. “I… I’m in a bit of a pickle, and I can’t seem to find a way out.” Admitting it felt like failure, but she had to put her pride aside for the time being. She could always mercilessly beat herself up for it later.
“What’s going on?” Chaeyoung’s eyes filled with concern.
“I need to find a place to stay ASAP, but I can’t find anything remotely safe within my budget.” Dahyun looked down at the bills in her hand. “I probably shouldn’t even be buying this hot chocolate right now.”
Before Dahyun could say anything else, Chaeyoung had her own credit card out and tapped it against the terminal.
“You need this to get through the day,” Chaeyoung said seriously. “And as for the place to stay, give me until tomorrow morning. I think I have an idea.”
The next day, when Dahyun went to the cafe, Chaeyoung eagerly gestured her over. She hopped out from behind the counter and led Dahyun to another woman who was seated off to the side of the cafe, a steaming cup of black coffee in front of her.
“This is Jihyo,” Chaeyoung said as Jihyo held her hand out to Dahyun. “I live with her, and she’s got a spare room. Jihyo can tell you more, but we’d be happy to have you stay with us for a bit.” Chaeyoung grinned at her.
“It’s great to meet you,” Jihyo said, giving Dahyun’s hand a hard shake. “We can talk logistics, but let me show you some pictures of the house and your room.”
Dahyun sat down with Jihyo, and they went over everything. Room, rent, house rules, chores. Dahyun’s head was spinning, and she was almost late to work, but she had a place to stay now. Everything else could be figured out in its own time now.
Dahyun had been hoping Chaeyoung would be there when she arrived with her stuff, but Jihyo told her she was teaching one of her art classes.
“She’ll be home tonight for family dinner,” Jihyo said.
It’s sweet that they refer to each other as family, Dahyun thought.
After organizing her room for a few hours, Dahyun could no longer ignore the rumbling in her stomach. She decided to brave going downstairs for a snack. As she made her way to the kitchen, the side door opened and in stepped the most beautiful girl Dahyun had ever laid her eyes on.
Auburn colored hair, warm brown eyes, and the most dazzling and endearing smile in the world all combined in one… Dahyun felt dizzy.
“Jagiya!” The girl called as she took off her shoes. “Jagiya, I’m home!” She turned and saw Dahyun, and the initial confusion in her eyes melted into excitement.
“You must be Dahyun!” She bounded over to Dahyun like a puppy. “I’m Sana.” She opened her eyes and Dahyun found herself hugging Sana, her vanilla perfume overwhelming Dahyun’s senses.
“Ni-nice to meet you,” Dahyun stammered out as Sana pulled away.
Jihyo came into the kitchen and hurried over to Sana, wrapping her in her arms. Then, after a hug that lingered a bit longer than one between friends, they kissed.
Oh, Dahyun thought, her heart dropping a bit.
“This is my girlfriend, Sana,” Jihyo said, her hand intertwined with Sana’s. “She’s not always home though because of her work.” Jihyo pouted, and Dahyun got the distinct impression that getting a pout out of Jihyo was rare.
“I can’t help that everyone wants me,” Sana said with a little giggle. “I’m a model,” she told Dahyun. “My work usually keeps me in Seoul, but sometimes it takes me all over the globe.” She pinched Jihyo’s cheek. “This one could travel with me, but she’s too much of a girl boss for that.”
“I can’t just leave the law practice whenever I want,” Jihyo said with a huff. “I have clients, you know.”
“I know, I know,” Sana said. She kissed Jihyo on the forehead. “I’m just teasing you, honey.”
“Get changed and ready for dinner,” Jihyo said. “I ordered from our favorite place.”
“Perfect!” Sana said, clapping her hands together. She smiled at Dahyun again. “See you at dinner!”
“I hope you like sushi.” Jihyo turned to Dahyun. “It was the most requested dish for family dinner tonight.”
“Oh, yeah, sushi is great,” Dahyun said. “Let me know how much I owe you.”
Jihyo chuckled. “It’s a welcome to the house meal, okay? Nothing owed.”
Before Dahyun could protest, the door opened again. Another girl stumbled through, and she looked far more exhausted than Sana. Her black hair was pulled back in a bun, and there was so much makeup on her face. Not that she needed it, though. Her eyes were on Jihyo as soon as she was through the door.
“Hi, honey,” Jihyo said. She went over to the other girl and she… kissed her? “You look spent.”
“I had to cover the protests, so I was on my feet all day.” She groaned as she took her shoes off. “I can’t wait to collapse into bed tonight.”
“Well, first is family dinner. Think you can make it?” Jihyo had the other girl’s hands in hers and was staring very intently into her eyes.
“I can rally,” she said, leaning forward to kiss Jihyo again. That’s when her eyes locked with Dahyun’s. “Oh, hey, you must be Dahyun. I’m Jeongyeon—Yoo Jeongyeon.”
Park-Yoo Household.
“Hi,” Dahyun said with a small wave. “Nice to meet you.”
“Sorry, I’m just tired from work, but I’ll be a bit more on later,” Jeongyeon said with another sigh. “I’ll be back, baby.” She kissed Jihyo one more time before heading upstairs.
Dahyun couldn’t help but just stare at Jihyo. Jihyo raised a brow at her, then her face morphed into realization.
“How much did Chaeyoung tell you about our household?” Jihyo asked.
“Uh, she said she lives here with you.”
Jihyo rolled her eyes. “Typical Chaeyoung, only giving the barest of details.” She took a seat at the kitchen table and Dahyun followed suit. “I live here, and so does Chaeyoung, yes. But my partner Jeongyeon lives here, too, and so does my girlfriend, Sana, and her girlfriend, Mina.”
“Uh… what?” Dahyun couldn’t filter herself quickly enough.
“We’re poly,” Jihyo said. “Polyamorous?” She looked at Dahyun for a moment. “I can’t believe Chaeyoung didn’t tell you.”
“Oh,” Dahyun said softly. “O-okay?” She wasn’t sure how to react.
“Did I make you uncomfortable?” Concern washed over Jihyo’s face.
“No, no!” Dahyun said quickly. “All good here. Just a bit of a, uh, surprise. But nothing bad, of course!” Dahyun didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. Was she uncomfortable? She wasn’t sure, but she knew she was confused.
“We’re having a family dinner tonight, which means everyone is coming over. So it’s me, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Sana, then the others—Mina, Nayeon, Momo, and Tzuyu. We’re all happy to have you here with us, Dahyun.” Jihyo reached out and patted Dahyun’s hand. She had to repress her instinct to flinch. Dahyun wasn’t one for physical touch outside of those she was very close with.
Is this a cult? She wondered as she went over all the girls’ names. Eight girls. And they all were dating each other?
Jihyo's phone chimed. “Ah, the food is here! I’ll be back in a bit,” she said. “The others should be here soon.”
Dahyun nodded, her shoulders relaxing a bit once Jihyo left. She had a feeling it was going to be a long—and interesting—night.
Mina
Mina was regretting the red eye she had taken to come home for family dinner (Sana had pouted, and who was she to say no) as she stood outside of Chaeyoung’s art studio. It had become a regular thing, Chaeyoung having her weekly classes and Mina walking her home after them. She had tried her hand at art and despite Chaeyoung’s encouragement, she didn’t feel up to continuing the classes. She had spent the last week modeling in Milan and was looking forward to some much needed rest at home.
“Oh, there you are!” Mina’s chest felt lighter and the exhaustion left her body. She looked over to see a cute girl with a short blonde bob, shrub earrings, and an apron covered in paint over her clothes. Mina loved her little dimple when she smiled and couldn’t get enough of it. “Sorry to make you wait, someone spilled some paint so I was taking care of that.”
Chaeyoung ran up next to Mina, linking their arms naturally as a blush crept across the Japanese girl’s face. “Some things are worth waiting for,” Mina replied quietly.
Mina had met Chaeyoung at Jihyo’s house one day for family dinner, and she had slowly been developing a crush on the other girl. She liked Chaeyoung’s style, she seemed so cool and calm. She also enjoyed spending time with her, although it had been interesting carving out time to see Chae when she was so busy.
They chatted about their days, Mina recounting her shoot and how they had put her on a horse, and Chaeyoung talking about the coffee shop and then the class she just taught. Mina liked her laugh and how her arm felt looped through hers. Before she knew it, they had arrived home.
“Dahyun just moved in so I gotta check on her, but it was nice seeing you. Thanks for walking me home, I’ll see you around?” Chaeyoung said with a smile. Mina nodded and walked through the door after Chaeyoung, excited to go see Sana.
Mina and Sana had met at a shoot last year, Mina instantly captivated by Sana’s charm and personality. She was stunned when the other girl had asked her out, but it had felt so easy to be with her. Mina had been wary of polyamory, but when Sana had explained it to her, it made more sense.
“I have so much love to give, and I don’t want to live my life wondering what it might be like to love someone. I love you, Mina. And I love what we have, and I wouldn’t have even known what this was if I wasn’t open to it. And if you weren’t open to it. I love the ability to learn and grow and go through things with you, and that’s something that I feel can be prioritized in a polyamorous relationship.”
Truthfully, Mina still wasn’t entirely sure she was on board, but given their busy schedules, it made sense. However, coming home to Sana was one of her favorite feelings. They had recently moved in together at Jihyo’s house, but in separate rooms. Since they both traveled so much, it made sense to have a home base together with all the people they cared about. Mina ran up the stairs and threw open the door.
“Baby, I’m home!” Sana immediately ran to the doorway, throwing her arms around Mina’s neck and wrapping her legs around her, almost knocking both of them down. Mina instinctively used her hands to scoop Sana up, locking her into place as she peppered her face with kisses.
“I missed you so much, you don’t even know!” Sana’s face was now smushed into Mina’s neck, who was now slowly walking them over to their bed. “How are you? How was your walk with Chae?”
Mina still wasn’t used to talking about her crush with Sana. This was her first crush since they had become official, and it was strange discussing a romantic something with her partner. The two plopped down face to face, Mina propping herself up on her elbow to support her head and running her fingers through Sana’s hair.
“I’m so tired, but it was nice walking with Chaeyoung. I’m still kind of nervous though, I’m not entirely sure how to move this forward, you know? And there’s also Nayeon and Momo-”
“Hey, hey, baby. Look at me, let’s slow down.” Sana always knew what to say to help Mina’s anxious thoughts. At times she was overwhelmed with how much she was feeling, unsure of how she would be able to date that many people at the same time. Mina curled into Sana, who wrapped her arms around her and led Mina through some breathing exercises.
Mina felt safe when she was with Sana. Sometimes it felt like she had everything figured out, and she really admired that about Sana. She took a deep breath and let it go, feeling the tension leave her body also.
“You’re safe with me, ok? Things will happen as you’re ready and there’s no rush. I love you and I know it’s overwhelming, but it’ll be alright.” Mina melted further into Sana’s embrace, feeling comforted by her words and also working on detangling the thoughts in her mind.
“Thanks, Sana,” Mina breathed out. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good, just relaxing after a long trip. I’m glad we are back in the same time zone though, I missed your cute face and that tight ass,” Sana said with a devilish grin.
Their heads both turned when they heard a soft knock on the door. “Come in!” They both yelled.
Jihyo stuck her head through. “Hey love birds, food’s here!”
They both acknowledged Jihyo before she left, but as Sana got up, Mina pulled her back down and kissed her.
“I missed you, too. Maybe I can show you how much after dinner?” Mina asked with a smirk, Sana clearly worked up.
“Are you sure we don’t have time before dinner?” Sana groaned, wrapping her limbs around Mina.
“You don’t have time!” Jeongyeon yelled from the hallway as she ran down the stairs, causing them both to giggle.
“Here, I’ll bring you down,” Mina said as she lifted Sana, carrying her down the stairs.
“You’re soooo strong, Minari,” Sana swooned.
“Can you two quit it? You’re going to scare away Dahyun!” Jihyo yelled from the dining room, working to open all the containers of sushi.
“She’s just so muscular and I love her so much,” Sana replied, kissing Mina repeatedly.
“What if I want some of that!” A voice yelled from the entryway. Mina would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Well, Nayeon, you just have to ask,” Sana teased, hopping off Mina’s back and running over to shower Nayeon and Momo with kisses. “How are my girlfriends?”
Tzuyu
Tzuyu took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. She always had to prepare herself for this—for seeing her girlfriend, and for seeing other people flirt with her girlfriend. Chaeyoung had been very upfront with her from their first date, even offering to field questions from Tzuyu on the spot.
“There’s something I wanted to talk about with you.” Chaeyoung looked up from her meal. “I’m polyamorous.”
At first, Tzuyu thought it was a joke. A prank. She’d never met anyone poly before, and she certainly hadn’t expected Chaeyoung to be poly. She didn’t even look poly—not that Tzuyu knew what a poly person would look like.
“So… you have other partners?” Tzuyu hoped she’d swallowed her surprise well enough.
“Not at the moment, no,” Chaeyoung clarified. “But I have in the past, and I’d like to in the future, as well.”
“Oh,” was all Tzuyu could say.
“If you aren’t interested because of this, I completely understand,” Chaeyoung said. “I like you a lot, and you deserve my honesty, so I just wanted to tell you.”
Tzuyu had no idea what she felt about polyamory, or Chaeyoung being polyamorous, but she did know she really liked Chaeyoung. She wouldn’t have signed up for her art classes for the past three months if she hadn’t. Tzuyu liked to draw every now and then, but not enough to dedicate two hours per week—after work, no less—if she didn’t also like the someone giving the drawing lessons.
“I like you, too,” Tzuyu blurted out. “And I want to date you. Keep dating you.” Tzuyu took a sip of water to hide her blush.
“Cool,” Chaeyoung said with her signature easy smile. “Do you have any questions for me about polyamory?”
Tzuyu didn’t even know where to start, let alone what to ask.
“Nope, not right now, at least.”
Besides, if Chaeyoung wasn’t seeing anyone else at the moment, maybe she never would, and then Tzuyu would never have to consider what it meant that Chaeyoung was poly.
For the past few months, it had been just her and Chaeyoung. When she asked Chaeyoung to be her girlfriend after they went stargazing one night, and Chaeyoung happily accepted, part of Tzuyu assumed now she got Chaeyoung all to herself. But, lately, it had become clear she was wrong.
Tzuyu rang the doorbell before she could think about it any longer.
“There you are!” Chaeyoung swung open the door and pulled Tzuyu in for a hug, kissing her softly and sweetly on the lips before pulling her into the house. “The food’s here, the table’s set, and Dahyun moved in today, too! You two finally get to meet!” Chaeyoung was practically bouncing with excitement.
Tzuyu had to admit that when Chaeyoung told her about Dahyun, she was worried she wanted to date her. But it soon became clear to Tzuyu that it was platonic, and, from Chaeyoung’s stories, Dahyun could be straight for all they knew.
Tzuyu took her seat next to Chaeyoung at the long table—a longer table than Tzuyu had seen outside of a restaurant. She wasn’t sure how Jihyo and Jeongyeon found it, but it was perfect for what Chaeyoung lovingly called family dinners. Once they’d started dating, Chaeyoung was quick to include Tzuyu. Tzuyu really liked all of the other girls—they were welcoming and funny and kind.
But she’d noticed lately that one girl seemed to have her eyes set on Chaeyoung. And that girl happened to be across from Chaeyoung tonight.
“Hey, Tzuyu,” Mina said with a small wave. “It’s good to see you again.”
Tzuyu liked Mina. Mina was a quiet, sweet person who also happened to be insanely beautiful. She’d definitely chosen her profession correctly. What Tzuyu didn’t like was seeing Chaeyoung flirt with Mina.
“Good to see you, too,” Tzuyu said.
Chaeyoung tapped Tzuyu on the shoulder. “This is Dahyun. Dahyun, this is my girlfriend, Tzuyu.”
A girl with long black hair and golden rimmed glasses sat on Chaeyoung’s other side. She said hi, nodding to Tzuyu.
“It’s great to meet you, Dahyun, and to have you here tonight. How are you liking it here so far?”
“Everyone is lovely,” Dahyun said. “I’m still so grateful to Jihyo for helping me out.”
“Ah, Dahyun, you’ve said that like a million times just since I’ve gotten here!” Nayeon exclaimed from the other side of the table. “Jihyo and Jeongyeon have a thing for helping people, so you better get used to it!” Nayeon dipped her head back as she laughed, hitting her girlfriend, Momo, in the arm as she did.
“Ow,” Momo whined.
Nayeon just laughed harder.
“It’s serve yourself style, so let’s all dive in!” Jihyo said.
Tzuyu looked at the spread—it was serious. She felt like she was at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Jihyo and Jeongyeon never spared expenses when it came to family dinners. Even though everyone chipped in, Tzuyu knew for a fact that her twenty dollar contribution couldn’t have bought more than a dish or two of that food.
“So, Tzu, how was your day?” Chaeyoung asked around an avocado roll.
“Oh, pretty good. I did outpatient sessions today from my office, so it was pretty structured. No surprises.” Tzuyu liked all aspects of her job as a psychiatrist, but she relished the days she spent in the comfort of her own office the most. The days she did rounds in the hospital could be tiring.
“That’s good,” Chaeyoung said. “I’m glad it was a pretty good day.”
“How was art class?” Tzuyu asked as she picked up a California roll with her chopsticks.
“Oh, it was great! That old man—you remember him from the classes you came to, right?—well he was working on this study of a bird he sees all the time at his birdfeeder, and it’s coming along really nicely. He’s happy with it, too, which is the best part.”
“Will his piece be in the art show?” Mina asked from across the table.
“Definitely,” Chaeyoung said. “I think I convinced him of it today. Will you be there?”
Tzuyu noticed the way Chaeyoung’s voice lilted up at the end. She did that with her, too. She did that when she was flirting.
“If my schedule allows, I’ll absolutely be there.” Mina was flirting right back, albeit not as confidently as Chaeyoung.
Sana smiled fondly at her girlfriend, and Tzuyu wondered, not for the first time, how Sana was so okay with watching Mina openly flirt with other people. It was one thing to know it happened, but a whole other thing to see it happen.
“Cool,” Chaeyoung said, her face tinged red. “Can’t wait.” She turned to Tzuyu. “It’s on a Saturday, so you should be off, right?”
Tzuyu frowned. “If I’m not assigned to rounds that day, then yes, of course I’ll be there.” She wanted to lean over and kiss Chaeyoung, but she was still a bit shy about doing that in front of everyone.
Chaeyoung pouted. “I don’t wanna be without my girl.”
My girl. The words made Tzuyu’s heart beat a bit faster.
“I’ll do my best,” she said, as if she hadn’t already planned on doing her best. She would always do her best for Chaeyoung. She was wrapped around her finger, afterall.
Jeongyeon stood up at the other end of the table, clinking her chopsticks against her wine glass. “I would like to have everyone’s attention, please!” She declared. “Let’s all welcome Dahyun into our midst.” She smiled at the new girl. “We’re sorry you came here under stressful circumstances, but we’re happy to have you for as long as you need to be here. You’re part of our family now.”
Everyone else shouted in agreement, raising their glasses to Dahyun.
“To Dahyun, a new member of our family!” Nayeon exclaimed.
“Yes, to Dahyun, who I definitely want to get to know better,” Sana said with a little giggle.
Tzuyu’s eyebrow ticked up when she saw Dahyun blush. Maybe the girl wasn’t straight.
“Thanks for welcoming me so nicely,” Dahyun said. “I appreciate it a lot.”
The dinner soon returned to normal, with everyone making idle chatter. But Tzuyu couldn’t stop noticing the way Mina’s eyes kept flitting back to Chaeyoung.
Tzuyu took a sip of her water, then set it down. She needed something a bit stronger to get her through the night.
Nayeon
Nayeon lived for their weekly family dinners. Who was she to complain when everyone she loved gathered regularly in one place? She loved standing in the kitchen and watching Momo cook, gazing lustfully at the beautiful woman she lived with, and then doing her best to distract her from the task at hand. Nayeon didn’t know Momo was smarter than her and would quietly buffer her cooking time to make room for said distractions. Then they’d make the eight minute drive over and be showered in affection, mostly by Sana, but also by everyone at varying degrees. Nayeon hoped some of those degrees would change soon.
She loved the freedom of all her relationships, being able to explore them however she wanted and she loved coming home to Momo at the end of the day. She loved this in the same ways Sana did.
“So uh how do you all know each other?” Dahyun asked, grabbing a salmon roll with her chopsticks.
Nayeon had been waiting for this one ever since she heard Dahyun was moving in. She had done some light stalking (or rather forced Chaeyoung to show her pictures) and she was ready to go. “I’m so glad you asked!”
“Oh, here we go again,” Jihyo grumbled, pretending to be annoyed but anxiously awaiting Nayeon’s explanation. It had been awhile since they had added a new member, it had nearly scared Tzuyu away. But she loved hearing things from Nayeon’s point of view, it was much more exciting. And luckily it didn’t scare Tzuyu away.
“Just so you know, you don’t have to date someone to live here, that’s not in the contract,” Jeongyeon said with a wink.
“But if you did, who would you pick?” Sana asked with a smirk, reveling in the way Dahyun blushed.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to pick,” Tzuyu mumbled under her breath.
“Maybe she doesn’t like women,” Momo shrugged.
“Look at us, she’d be crazy to say no,” Nayeon replied, everyone quickly nodding in agreement.
Dahyun’s blush deepened. “I uh I do like women but I haven’t ever been in a situation like this before.” Dahyun glanced around, feeling uneasy about all the eyes on her at this moment. “And I still don’t know how you all met.”
Nayeon could see what she was doing and decided to give her a pass. It had been awhile since she had gone after a shy nerdy girl. She kind of thought that was what Mina would be like, but she was surprised by how things had gone thus far. She was very forward with Mina but the girl was so shy, she wasn’t sure whether or not she was into it. Sana assured Nayeon that Mina was, and with that, Nayeon continued to pursue.
“It all started at a college dorm. Somehow the stars align and me, Momo, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon all room together. We are the best of friends, doing everything together despite busy schedules and life. That is until one day, disaster strikes,” Nayeon started, looking around at everyone’s face to see how it was being received. Most of the room had heard it so there were some eyerolls, but Dahyun and Tzuyu’s eyes remained engaged and locked on Nayeon.
“Don’t call it a disaster!” Jihyo yelled, throwing a chopstick wrapper across the table at Nayeon’s head. “It was beautiful.” Jeongyeon leaned over and gave Jihyo a kiss on the forehead and gestured for Nayeon to continue.
“Well I found out that Jeongyeon and Jihyo had been dating behind my back for MONTHS! They had no intention of telling anyone, I had to find them making out in the LIBRARY-”
Jeongyeon chimed in with a shrug. “We were going to tell you eventually.”
“I knew,” Momo said quietly, earning a laugh from everyone in the room.
“We were really good friends, if Nayeon didn’t notice, it’s because she wasn’t paying attention,” Jihyo replied.
“It was devastating for our polycule, our quartet-”
“We weren’t poly at the time,” Jihyo said quickly, assuring their friends at the table who already mostly knew the story.
“That is until one drunken night, I look out across the room at the party, and I see the most stunning girl with the nicest rack-”
“Ok, calm down, Casanova,” Chaeyoung giggled. She loved this part.
“Still stunning with a nice rack,” Sana said with a wink.
“And I think to myself, ‘If I don’t kiss her tonight, I will have failed phenomenally.’ So I make my way across the room and I say, ‘Good god, you are so beautiful, I need you to kiss me right now or I might die.’”
Nayeon took a moment to look around. Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Momo were making eyes at each other, remembering this night fondly. Mina, Sana, and Chaeyoung were grinning, excited to hear the story again. Dahyun and Tzuyu both stared at the other girls, anxiously awaiting the ending of this story.
“And then?” Dahyun asked, not enjoying the way she was being strung along.
“And then she kissed me and we’ve been dating ever since,” Nayeon finished quickly, leaning over and giving Momo a kiss on the head.
“It never really made sense to us, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense,” Jihyo said, to which Jeongyeon nodded.
“Wow I forgot that that’s how that story goes,” Tzuyu said thoughtfully. “You gotta explain how you met everyone else, too.”
“You don’t have to go into super detail-” Mina started, nervously glancing from Chaeyoung to Tzuyu.
Sana sensed her hesitation and jumped in. “Oh but she does! Tell it Nayeon!”
Nayeon grinned and blew the girl a kiss. “Obviously my body is phenomenal and I’ll tell you how I got it- pilates. One day my instructor is busting my ass, I’m shaking from my head to my toes, and I look over and I see an angel-”
“She was close to death,” Jeongyeon chuckled.
“An angel with an ass so firm you could bounce a quarter on it,” Sana said as she nuzzled into Mina’s neck.
“What does that even mean?” Jihyo asked.
“Anyways, I walk off the reformer and the girl comes to me and says, ‘Girl, your body is so fine, let me take you out’ and-”
“That’s NOT what happened!” Mina exclaimed, the first time she had raised her voice at the table, face red as a stop sign. Sana and Chaeyoung giggled, it was odd for them to see Mina worked up like that. A tiny cloud formed over Tzuyu’s head as she watched the interaction.
Nayeon was taken aback by Mina’s reaction but decided to roll with it. “I said ‘Baby, you can take me out anytime, but what I’d really like is for you to eat-’”
Dahyun’s eyes were wide with fear and Tzuyu seemed to be stewing as Momo nudged Nayeon to revert back to what actually happened. Sana giggled as she watched the events transpire.
“Ok, well actually I saw Sana and Mina at the studio together and asked if they knew any good spots around for brunch and they took me there. The rest is history! Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung grew up together, Tzuyu attended an art show one time and then made a point to attend Chaeyoung’s art classes after, little mastermind-”
“It’s not like that!” Tzuyu exclaimed.
“It was a little like that, be honest babe,” Chaeyoung chuckled. Everyone laughed as the tall girl blushed.
“Ok maybe a little,” Tzuyu mumbled, Chaeyoung leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek.
“And you,” Nayeon said, leaning over and pointing at Dahyun. “Are a regular at Chaeyoung’s coffee shop and now live here at this house, where we regularly convene. And that is how we all know each other.”
The room burst in applause as Nayeon stood up and took several deep bows, basking in the attention. When it quieted down, Nayeon could sense another question on Dahyun’s mind, the girl looked to be a little constipated.
“Go ahead, ask your question, we won’t be offended,” Nayeon said as she was gently fed an eel roll by Momo.
Dahyun shuffled in her seat for a bit, stuttering a couple times before finally spitting it out. “I don’t know if this is an appropriate question to ask or how to ask this, but who is dating who?”
“YES!” Nayeon yelled as she walked around the room and collected money from Sana, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon.
“What is going on?” Chaeyoung asked, wondering if she had missed something.
“Everyone bet against me, but I knew you’d ask that at dinner tonight,” Nayeon smirked, immediately walking back and making it rain over Momo, who quietly smirked too.
“Making bets on our guests, interesting first impression,” Sana tsked.
Jeongyeon crossed her arms. “That’s bold coming from someone who already asked who she would want to date in the house.”
“I’m just trying to get her comfortable!” Sana whined, to which everyone nodded. No one could quite say no to her.
“Should we run through every relationship?” Jihyo asked.
“Established ones for sure,” Tzuyu said quickly, trying not to be obvious about wanting to mark her territory, but wanting it.
“Flirtationships?” Momo asked. Everyone in the room thought quietly to themselves.
“Nah, let’s let her figure that out on her own,” Nayeon smirked. “Or should we let Dahyun guess?”
“That’s evil, don’t do that to her, it's her first day!” Mina said quickly.
“Fine, fine.” Nayeon couldn’t deny Mina either. Something about her and Japanese girls. “Well, as you know, Jihyo and Jeongyeon own this house and they are primary partners-”
“Sorry, what does that mean?” Dahyun asked. Tzuyu was also extra attentive, having not known these words when they did the run through earlier. She had done some light googling at home but she wanted to know what it meant to them, too.
“It means that Jeongyeon and I prioritize each other over our other relationships since we share this home, our general finances, and ultimately our future,” Jihyo replied quickly, to which everyone else nodded.
“Momo and I are also primaries, more so because we are poor and depend on each other,” Nayeon said to the group. “Sana and Jeongyeon are my girlfriends and everyone else has a crush on me.”
Sana blew a kiss across the table to her, which she quickly chomped. Everyone else started mumbling about how they didn’t have a crush on her while Mina and Dahyun stayed quiet. Nayeon made sure to stash that in her mind palace.
“Momo is dating Sana and Jihyo, Sana has Jihyo and Mina as partners, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu are girlfriends, and I’m too lazy to flip it the other way so you can figure it out,” Nayeon finished with a shrug.
“Maybe we need a whiteboard or something,” Mina said as she looked at a very confused Dahyun.
“That’s an excellent idea, love,” Sana replied, giving her a kiss and walking into the other room to look for a whiteboard.
“Baby, they’re in the other room,” Jihyo said as she followed Sana out of the dining area.
“That’s a lot,” Dahyun said, eyes a little glazed over still. “How do you balance all of it?”
“Yeah, I’m still processing if I’m being honest,” Tzuyu chuckled.
Sana and Jihyo wheeled in with their touchscreen digital whiteboard. It was like something you’d find in an office space, yet it felt right in their house. Nayeon loved to use this for pictionary, but she recognized there were other purposes.
Jihyo flipped it to their calendar. “Each person has a color and you mark when you’re busy, if you’ve got dates, etc etc. It’s a lot of coordinating but I think it’s worth it.”
Sana flipped it to the paint option and started writing their names and drawing lines.
“I don’t mean to be a bummer hun, but that’s even more confusing,” Momo said softly as she watched several lines intersect with each other. Nayeon got up and took a marker, drawing all the lines to her. “That’s even more unhelpful.”
Nayeon pouted at Momo, who sighed and relented. It was true, the board was incredibly difficult to read and ultimately unhelpful. But Nayeon didn’t miss the way everyone stared at her ass as she wrote. Or maybe it was Sana’s ass, but she didn’t care. She looked over and winked at Mina, who immediately blushed. She turned around and grinned to herself, now drawing something slightly less appropriate. She then looked the other way and winked at Dahyun, who also blushed. This was going to be fun.
Sana leaned over and whispered in Nayeon’s ear. “Now why are you drawing what you want to do to me over there?”
“I was hoping you’d see.” Nayeon didn’t have much resolve when it came to Sana. They were still technically at dinner and she was now trying to figure out how quickly she could get out of it.
“I think you should show me later,” Sana said with a slight growl, making Nayeon’s legs weak, before turning around and announcing she was finished with her chart. She started avidly explaining it again as everyone chimed in with their own thoughts and feelings.