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There are a few things Mina holds sacred: her friends, her family, and her coffee. Ideally, she would add "girlfriend" to the list, but seeing as she suffers from being chronically single, her golden trio will remain just that.
But it's totally fine! Everything is fine! Mina has a stable job, supportive parents, best friends who only occasionally make her rip her hair out, and a borderline concerning caffeine addiction. She could not be more average. (And there is nothing wrong with average.) Truly, what more could she ask for?
In fact, in honor of the crippling burnout that continues to knock at her door, perched by the corner window, Mina happily nurses her latte and flits through her book. A routine start to her weekend. The perfect lead-in to a much-needed break during a much-needed week off.
Peace and quiet accompany her mind. The bustle of the cafe soothes her nerves. A silenced phone stowed in her purse is the cherry on top. (Nayeon and Jihyo are physically incapable of shutting up, and though Mina cherishes them with all her heart, if they lament on her relationship status one more time, Mina might actually go bald.)
At least for today, Mina just needs to relax, which entails being alone. And dare she jinx it, so far, she's been quite successful. Her favorite barista even drops off a croissant at her table, on the house, since she's such a regular (and a tipper). An hour passes without event, just how she likes it, when the jinx manifests as two suede boots at the edge of her table, close enough that Mina has to look up or else it would be really awkward—and Mina hates awkward situations.
So Mina looks up at the owner of the boots, but before she can form a thought, the woman beats her to it, beaming.
"I hope you weren't waiting long! It's nice to finally see you!"
And there it is. Cue the awkward situation. Mina channels her professional development training to suppress her cringe. "I'm sorry. I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
The woman frowns. "I think it'd be impossible to mistake you for someone else. Mina, right?"
The alarm bells ensue. Who is this lady and why does she know her name? She swallows her panic for a moment. "I'm sorry," Mina apologizes again. "Have we met before?"
The woman frowns deeper. (For some reason, Mina wants to do anything she can to rid her of the expression.) "Not in person, but we started talking on Hinge a week ago." Gut-wrenchingly so, her face transforms into pure heartbreak. "I'm Sana, remember? We set up our first date two days ago. Am I really that forgettable?"
Ten thousand question marks zap through Mina's head. It trickles down to about five hundred as her brain power catches up. And though this is through no fault of her own, Mina feels the guilt of the world slap her across the face. She's heard of things like this happening before. It's all over the internet. Hell, she's pretty sure they built a whole TV show around this phenomenon. Distressed, Mina doesn't even place her bookmark before closing her book and standing up to address the woman—Sana—properly. As placatingly as possible, Mina dares to rest a gentle hand on Sana's shoulder. Once more, she apologizes. "I'm so sorry, Sana, but I think you've been catfished. I don't have a Hinge."
It dawns on her then. Mina doesn't move her hand, but she adopts a sturdier stance. She does a slow and cautious sweep of the room, trying to pick out the suspicious creep who tricked this poor woman. Fortunately, no one strikes as suspicious or creepy, so Mina allows herself to calm down a bit.
Sana appears frozen and in denial.
Mina doesn't blame her, and though she wants to keep her hand on Sana's shoulder, she doesn't want to come off as a threat. "If it makes you feel better," Mina tries to comfort, "I don't think the catfisher is here. I recognize almost everyone, so they probably ran off when they saw the real me."
"I can't believe this is happening." Sana's face flushes a deep cherry red. "I feel like such an idiot. This really isn't you?" She opens Mina's supposed Hinge account and shows her. "You're not Mina?"
Mina doesn't miss the disappointment in her voice. "My name is Mina. I'm surprised they got that right. But," with a nod from Sana, she takes Sana's phone and scrolls through the profile, "I promise you I do not have a Hinge. I swore off dating apps years ago..." She squints at the screen, her panic slowly rising again at the uncannily accurate information.
Her name, age, job, and education are all correct. Alongside that, the first two pictures were pulled directly from her social media. She prefers to entertain the idea of a very thorough catfisher rather than the scarier alternative of a stalker. But the deeper she digs, the more personal things get. There are pictures from Nayeon's birthday party, Jihyo's New Year's party, candids from the dog park they all love to frequent, and Nayeon and Jihyo's wedding. Mina looks drop-dead gorgeous in all of them.
Oh. The pieces start clicking.
Mina reads through the prompts next.
I geek out on: every single nintendo switch game and lego product ever (my favorites are fire emblem three houses and the tuxedo cat)
We're the same type of weird if: you also eat the dumpling fillings and dumpling skin separately
I'm looking for: a kind soul to relax with because my beautiful amazing best friends need some help
Mina returns the phone, suppresses the beast of emotions that boils within her, and launches for her purse. The onslaught of messages already present on her lockscreen confirms her worst fears.
Nayeon: is she pretty??!!
Nayeon: is she super duper sweet and funny??!!
Jihyo: is she everything you've dreamed of?
Nayeon: GO GET YOUR GIRL!!!
Jihyo: we're 99.9% sure she's not a serial killer btw so don't worry about that
Jihyo: HAVE FUN <3
Mina shoves her phone in her pocket and half-expects to rip a hole through the fabric. She takes a breath. Two. Three. What could she possibly have done to deserve such an awkward situation?
"Would you like me to report the account?" Sana's tender voice snaps Mina out of it.
"No, no, it's okay, actually. How can I explain this?" Mina sighs as the beginnings of a headache rap at her temple. "It looks like my friends made this account without telling me, matched with you, then asked you to meet me here since they know I come here every week. I'm so sorry, Sana. If I knew what they were up to, I would have put a stop to it immediately." Mina furrows her brow. "Rest assured, I will be smacking the shit out of them as soon as we're done here."
Once again, Sana frowns, and sure, it's totally valid given this diabolical turn of events, but that doesn't stop Mina from wanting to reverse it. "And when will we be done here?"
"Any time you want, I suppose. I apologize again for the actions of my idiot friends."
The corner of Sana's lips quirk up, and the earlier dregs of discouragement slip away. "In that case, would you like to make it up to me?"
Mina leaps at the opportunity, if anything to keep Sana's frown from resurfacing. "I'd love nothing more."
"Well, I did come all this way for a first date. And though this isn't exactly how I expected things to go," Sana's fidgeting belies her confidence, "I think I'd still like to have a first date, with the real Mina, if that's okay with you."
Mina blinks. She did not see that coming. She blinks again, then she finally drinks in the sight that is Sana. And wow. She just might be the most beautiful woman Mina has ever had the honor of laying her eyes on. Her throat goes dry, her hands tickle with tremors, and her heart starts pounding, but this time, the panic that threatens to overcome her isn't alarming. It's exciting. And terrifying. She plays it off as calm and collected. She hopes.
"That would be more than okay." Mina gestures to the cafe counter. "Let's get you something tasty first. My treat."
They walk towards the register together. Mina is hyper-aware of the way the back of Sana's hand brushes against hers. She didn't know she could relish a feeling so much. After Mina pays for Sana's order (a jasmine tea and a fruit tart), plus an extra coffee for herself because god knows she needs the caffeine boost, they return to Mina's corner spot.
On opposite sides of the table, staring head-on at each other, the gravity of it all settles on Mina. Thanks to the sadistic workings of her best friends, what was supposed to be the kick-off to a weeklong staycation somehow transformed into a blind first date. A very pretty blind first date, but a blind date nonetheless. Granted, Sana was vetted by Nayeon and Jihyo beforehand, and despite their questionable methods, she believes in their good intentions. So, all things considered, Mina supposes the best thing she can do right now is to enjoy herself and try to be good company.
This, of course, begs the question: how the fuck is Mina supposed to act on a date? Sure, she's had her fair share of mingling at bars and one-night stands, but an honest-to-god, proper first date? It's been longer than she'd like to admit. And her intuition screams at her to not fuck this up.
"I have a request," Mina says. Starting off strong.
Sana raises a brow. "You pay for my food, then you instantly ask for the favor to be returned. Curious. What is it?"
"May I see your Hinge profile?" Sana keeps her brow raised. Mina is quick to defend herself. "It's only fair, since you've seen mine."
"But you didn't even make your profile."
"Touche." Mina outstretches her hand and flexes her fingers in the come hither motion. "Cough it up."
Sana bites her lips and stands up from her chair—and oh shit did Mina completely fuck this up already—but then Sana simply moves her chair right next to Mina, sits down, and unlocks her phone. "If you're going to be judging my profile, then I want to be able to explain everything."
The explanation fails to address the glaring fact that this could easily be accomplished without being shoulder-to-shoulder, but in a shockingly uncharacteristic moment, Mina finds herself with butterflies in her stomach. She leans into Sana instead, with the pretense of reaching for her phone, but Sana quickly pulls her hand back.
"I'll let you look through my profile on one condition. After you're done, I get to watch you make an actual account for yourself."
Mina reflexively readies to protest, but Sana clarifies first.
"You don't have to officially make your account public, if you don't want to, but I think it'd be a fun way to get to know you."
"Honestly, my friends probably did a better job than I'd be able to."
"And obviously, I'm a very big fan of how they see you." Sana doesn't hide the way her eyes trail down Mina's face, to her lips, her moles, her chest. "I wouldn't be here otherwise. But," there's a twinkle in her expression, "I want to know how you see yourself. Do we have a deal?" She extends her palm.
Mina is a little embarrassed at how eager she is to hold Sana's hand, even if it's in the form of a handshake. "Deal."
Sana grins—Mina melts—and after letting her hand linger intertwined for another second, she slowly pulls away to unlock her phone and make good on her part.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise when the first picture Mina sees is Sana smiling like sunshine herself. Mina's jaw drops anyway. She hastily hides behind a swig of coffee, praying her blush isn't noticeable behind the cup.
"Any questions so far?"
Mina almost spits out her coffee. Her cheeks flush further when she realizes she has been staring at the singular picture for way longer than socially acceptable, especially considering that Sana was right next to her the whole time. Luckily, some of the demographic information is also visible, so Mina hopes it comes off as a slightly more socially acceptable amount of time spent staring, with the rest having been innocent reading. With a comprehension speed she can only attribute to middle school nights spent under the blanket, flashlight in hand and her book on the sheets, Mina is delighted to see that Sana is a veterinarian.
"Are you familiar with the animal shelter in the next town over?"
Like the comforting hearth of a summer home, Sana lights up. "I do! We direct almost all of the strays we get at the clinic to that shelter. You can tell they really love the animals in their care."
"No fucking way. I volunteer there!" Mina immediately brandishes her own phone and displays her lockscreen: a picture of her favorite dog at the shelter, Ray. "I don't have time to properly care for my own dog, so I try to go to the shelter as much as I can." Smiling fondly at the memories, Mina scrolls to the next section of Sana's profile, promptly missing the full-on heart eyes that Sana shoots at her.
Together we could: do literally anything while I say every single thought I have (including everything I like about you)
Mina is looking over the next two pictures (and wow, how Sana can look so hot and adorable is truly baffling) when she has an epiphany. This might be her once-in-a-lifetime chance at a genuine romance, and though the thought alone is enough to burst her anxiety meter, a more harrowing epiphany hits her after. Mina actually has to flirt if she wants this to pan out. She would rather be waterboarded. But then she sneaks a glance at Sana beside her, smells her perfume, and admits that maybe this won't be so bad.
Here she goes, then. "I expect you to stay true to your word." Mina points at the first prompt.
Sana reads her answer, looks at Mina, and grins. "I think you're incredibly pretty, generous, and obviously very good at handling—"
"Wait-w-w-wait!" Mina's eyeballs pop out of their sockets. "I did not mean right now!"
"—unusual situations…" Sana trails off, "or maybe not that last one."
Mina can physically sense every blood vessel in her face dilating, but she doesn't look away through sheer dignity and willpower. "I'm embarrassed now," she chuckles. "At least let me finish looking through your profile before you make me completely blow up." Smooth? No. Honest? Yes. And what more could anyone ask for?
Thankfully, Sana doesn't push it. She does, however, mutter "Cute."
You should leave a comment if: your ideal date is to roam the streets looking for stray animals to love and adopt
"I can get behind this," Mina taps the screen, leaving the implication of a second date hanging.
Sana snatches it from the air. "I'll add that to my notes."
At the tail end of the profile, Mina takes a mental screenshot of Sana in scrubs, cradling a ferret in her arms. Then she reads the final prompt, which all but solidifies her growing notion that this woman might just be perfect.
My BFF's take on why you should date me: Sana is the true embodiment of a lover girl. You can depend on her for everything, and you bet your ass she will treat you right.
Mina sets the phone down to signal she's done.
In the meantime, Sana had finished her fruit tart and most of her tea. She doesn't seem to notice the tiny crumbs dusting the corner of her mouth. "Thoughts?"
"As of right now, I have a very intrusive one." Mina cannot stop looking at those crumbs (and consequently, Sana's lips, and then the way they curve up into a smirk).
"Enlighten me."
"You have some fruit tart leftover on your cheeks, and I really want to wipe it away for you."
Sana intuitively begins to lick her lips (which surely is not in any way distracting), but stops herself short when Mina's request registers. "Be my guest."
The electricity between them could partially be attributed to Mina short-circuiting. But Sana is so patient, and she seems to want this as much as Mina does. At least, that's what Mina tells herself as she raises a shaky hand, resting her knuckles against Sana's angel-soft cheek as her thumb brushes the crumbs away.
With her elbow resting on the table, Mina dares to keep her hand where it is, as a perch for Sana's chin. When Sana leans into her, pure adrenaline starts pumping through her system, so Mina bites the bullet and keeps her words flowing.
"What would happen if I asked to see your Hinge texts with my friends?"
Sana flinches, but she doesn't recoil. "I would say I'd be very embarrassed, but would agree if you insisted."
Mina doesn't insist. "What would happen if I asked what made you want to match with me?"
"I would say that's less embarrassing, and would happily explain that the beautiful woman who liked my profile seemed to be sincerely looking for love. And I can't think of anything more attractive than that."
When Mina doesn't respond (couldn't respond, even if she wanted to, given the way the air was siphoned from her lungs), Sana gently removes her head from Mina's palm and motions for her phone back. "All satisfied, then? May I see you make an account now?"
"I'm nothing if not someone who stays true to her word." Mina makes a show of downloading the Hinge app.
"I'm sensing a 'but'."
"But, I'm scared I won't be able to live up to your expectations of me."
They sit in silence as Mina sets up her account. Sana hums in thought, absentmindedly smoothing down the fabric of Mina's sleeve. Mina makes sure to stay very still.
"To be fair," Sana says after her contemplation, "this is my first interaction with you—the real you, at least—so I don't have crazy expectations or anything. And if it makes you feel better," she walks her fingers down to caress the back of Mina's hand, "I'm very interested in what I've seen so far."
Mina flips her hand over to lace their fingers together. She wonders if Sana can feel the heat of the sun radiating from her skin. "So am I," she whispers. Then she clears her throat and stares at the blank account. "Damn, I haven't done this in forever. How seriously do you want me to take this?"
"Depends. How seriously do you want to take online dating?"
Mina stares Sana dead in the eyes. "Very seriously." They share a smile and an understanding.
"Then there's your answer."
"Alright. I just have to find six good pictures of me." Mina frowns. "That's way too difficult."
Sana furrows her brow. "I highly doubt that. However, since you're doing this just for me," she overtly bats her lashes, "how about you show me your six favorite pictures?"
"Do I have to be in them?"
Sana bites back a laugh. "Ideally. But if not, then all I ask is for the story behind it."
"I can do that." With a determination that often manifests during a boss level, Mina scours through her favorites folder. "There might be some overlap with the pictures my friends chose." She pulls up a picture of one of the happiest days of her life: Nayeon and Jihyo's wedding. It's a strip of four photos from the photobooth they had, all three of them grinning wide enough to split their faces. The love is tangible. "These are the friends who made my fake account, Nayeon and Jihyo." She points accordingly. "They both wanted me to be their maid of honor, so naturally, I became their officiant instead. It was probably the closest I've gotten to a perfect day."
"Your relationship with your friends is spectacular," Sana gushes. "I'm envious. It's sweet how much they care for you, and how much they're willing to do for you…even if it is behind your back."
"I think the dating app stunt was more them being little shits than saints." The words come out fondly. "But I can appreciate the sentiment. And considering how it's turned out so far," Mina squeezes their hands, "I'm sure as hell not complaining."
"I'm glad you have them in your life." Sana jumps a bit in her seat, longing for more. "Okay, one down, five to go! Off to a great start, if I may add."
For the next twenty minutes, they chat all about Mina's favorite memories (and corresponding pictures). The post-graduation trip she took to Hong Kong (with Nayeon and Jihyo, of course), celebrating Ray's seventh birthday at the shelter (they wore matching party hats), passing her physician assistant's licensure exam (Nayeon is pointing and laughing at Mina's happy tears), getting gifted Animal Crossing and Legos to celebrate employment (Mina was the last of the trio to get a full time job), and evidence that, yes, Mina really does separate all the fillings from the dumpling skins before eating (it tastes better that way).
They held hands the entire time.
"Only the prompts left, now." Mina comments. "Which would you like me to answer?"
"How about I close my eyes and pick them at random?"
"Go ahead." With great reluctance, Mina relinquishes her phone (and her hand) so Sana can scroll comfortably.
"The way to win me over is…" Sana perks in curiosity. "Ooh! This feels like something I should know."
"Hm. Give me a moment." Mina fidgets with the base of her coffee cup, long since drained. "It's been a while since I've thought about romance, to be honest," Mina confesses, suddenly a lot more self-conscious.
Sana likewise fidgets with a napkin. "That's okay," she says carefully. "I realize this is a lot of pressure to put on you unexpectedly, and you're welcome to not answer."
Mina appreciates the gesture and uses Sana's consideration as encouragement. "I think, for me, an ideal partner would be very comfortable with parallel play."
"Parallel play?"
"It's like, when you spend time together, but you're both doing different things."
Sana lets the concept marinate. "Is it safe to assume you're someone who values her alone time?"
"Yes."
"I'm sensing another 'but.'"
"But," Mina fights the urge to reach for Sana's hand again by tightening the grip on her cup, "I'd be lying if I said I don't get lonely."
It's surprising when Mina finds her longing mirrored in Sana's own expression. "I know what you mean."
Before Mina gets the chance to respond (she's not sure what she would've said, anyway), Sana resumes her task of prompt searching.
"A shower thought I recently had…" In attempts to lighten the mood, Sana adds, "I'm definitely not imagining you in the shower now, by the way."
If Sana were a wooden puppet boy, Mina suspects her nose would be growing. She doesn't mind the change in topic, though, and takes it as insight into Sana's character—charming, flirty, and oddly aware.
"If I had to pick only one color of food to eat for the rest of my life," a bold start to Mina's answer, "I'd pick red. It includes a bunch of fruit, red meat, and Takis."
Sana blinks. "Okay, now I'm actually not thinking about you in the shower. Huh. What color would I pick?"
"The boring answers are brown and white."
Sana takes the bait. "Orange," she says without hesitation. "I could eat, well, oranges, Cheetos, and salmon sashimi."
Mina laughs in approval. "I like how you think, Sana."
"I like you, too, Mina."
Neither of them acknowledges the omitted words, so Sana resumes with her final search. Shutting her eyes ultra-tight, wrinkles adorning the edges, Sana purses her lips in apparent concentration. She scrolls, points her finger at a random prompt, and reads. "Biggest risk I've ever taken…"
Mina imagines what it would feel like to kiss those lips. Mina imagines everything that could go right and everything that could go wrong. Mina imagines not caring anyway. She isn't sure if she could be that kind of person—has never been someone who could simply not care—but she also doubts she would ever have an opportunity like this again: a full week off, her favorite cafe, the perfect time to relax, and Sana.
Mina throws caution to the wind. "If I asked to kiss you, would that count?"
Sana does the only logical next step. She folds her hand over Mina's and kisses her as gently as possible.
It tastes of the sugar from the fruit tart, it's reminiscent of a butterfly landing on her skin, and it's entirely much too short. Mina isn't satisfied. Hunger takes over when she pushes in as Sana pulls away, free hand aching to cup Sana's cheeks. Sana's eyes widen a bit, then flick down to Mina's mouth. She nods ever so slightly, deepening the contact against Mina's palm. It's all the confirmation Mina needs to dive in, pressing her lips firmly (but tenderly) into Sana's.
Their hands naturally find their place on the other's waist. Their lips upturn at their corners, to the point where their shared kiss transforms more into a shared smile. Their laughs mingle in the little space between them.
Mina sighs as they part, but unlike her breath, she won't let this fortune escape her. There are a lot of emotions that bud in her chest. The most prominent one is what Mina latches onto. Hope.
Sana breaks the silence first. "Wow." She grins and bites her lips. (Already, Mina wants to kiss them again.) "Seems like your biggest risk was a success."
Judging from the cherry blossom pink that dusts Sana's ears, Mina would agree that "Yes, it was quite the success."
They small talk for the rest of the day. Exchange numbers and social media handles. Play with each other's hands. Tempt the spark. Feed the fire.
Sana even goes as far as ordering another round of pastries.
"That hungry, are you?" Mina teases.
"Yes. Particularly for any excuse to stay a little longer."
And when Sana very obviously leaves some crumbs on her lips, this time, Mina only slightly hesitates to close the gap. Sana happily meets her halfway, with a kiss as soft as all of their unspoken wishes.
Pulling away just far enough to speak, but close enough that Sana can pinpoint every perfect mole on Mina's face, she asks, "So will you stay sworn off dating apps?"
Mina purses her lips, just barely grazing Sana's own. "Actually, I think you've convinced me that they're not so bad."
The tiniest hint of emotion—surprise? pride? disappointment?—flickers across Sana. She gathers herself just as quickly. "I'm glad to be of help. Does this mean," Sana treads carefully, "you'll be active on the app?"
The hum Mina makes implies deliberation, but she'd already made up her mind on this. "Not at all." She unlocks her phone, navigates to her brand-new Hinge account, and deletes it.
"I'm not following." Sana frowns, the same confused frown she sported at the beginning of the day.
And again, Mina feels the same compulsion to rid Sana of her expression. Being forthright has never been Mina's forte, so it must be some form of divine intervention when she musters the heart to speak exactly what she wants to, as soon as she wants to. "Let's just say, I hope the one match I've already found works out."
When Sana grins, Mina could not be prouder. When Sana caresses a palm against her cheek, Mina could not be more hopeful. And when Sana finally kisses her, for the third time, but not the last, Mina could not be happier.