Chapter Text
THEN
2021
5 years ago
Mina met Momo during her second year of University and that’s how she got introduced to Sana: Momo’s best friend since preschool. Naturally, they circled around each other, Momo acting as glue between them.
Before Mina and Sana were even a thing, both of them went through break ups that would, eventually, clear the path for them to find each other.
When Mina had finally moved on from the turmoil her situationship had caused and decided she would not date anyone for at least a year, Sana started going through her own break up with her ex, Miyeon.
Sana... Well, she had needed more support going through the heartache from losing Miyeon. She felt like she couldn't deal with it on her own, she just didn’t know how, "Momoring, I feel like I’m going to die of sadness” Sana had told her the night it happened and since then, Momo grew completely protective over her friend. She wasn't the best with words but she surely knew how to take care of her best friend and how to comfort her physically, besides, it didn't matter if she wasn't good with words since Sana would do most of the talking. Anyway, that's when she made the decision to take Sana everywhere with her so she wouldn't feel alone... and that meant Sana and Mina met more often.
Mina had always felt something for Sana. She was undeniably beautiful, smart, well spoken, sweet… But she had met her when she was taken, and from bad experiences, Mina had learned to stay away and not to get in the way of a relationship, so she never went any further. Never tried to go beyond or being something else than Mina's friend.
As she saw Sana struggle with her own emotions, Mina couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. She wanted to be there for her, be her support, lord knows why. She never knew why she cared so much about the older girl but she did.
So she offered her shoulder, offered words of encouragement, offered to be there and just hang out with her until Momo was available and Sana had accepted her company, showing a slightly more vulnerable side Mina had never seen before.
They hung out more frequently, Mina quickly falling for her as she got a better understanding of who Sana truly was. She made the effort of proposing casual dates, looking up new places to take Sana so they could have fun and she could get a glimpse of that beautiful smile Sana had. She would hardly ever show empty handed, always making sure to bring some sort of gift or Sana's favorite snacks and earn giggles and hugs.
Falling for Sana felt so easy but it was clear it was a little too fast. Even for Sana, who was interested in Mina but was being cautious after everything she had gone through.
Regardless, Mina just went for it, asking for Momo’s blessing beforehand, of course. They started off slow, at least that’s what Sana had asked for, and what Mina had tried to do. Her impulsiveness sometimes got the best of her and Sana wasn’t completely ready for it, so they had to have a couple of talks to clear things up and start on the right foot.
By November of the same year, they were already official.
THEN
OCTOBER 2025
Mina stood behind the glass counter, looking at all the options in front of her. She knew Sana, she knew what she would like but still felt pressure. She didn’t want to pick something her girlfriend wouldn’t love or wouldn’t wear proudly.
It’s not that Sana was picky, either. She definitely could pull anything off. She would wear it proudly even if it was a cheap mood ring bought at the flea market. She had never asked for anything like… this. But Mina wanted to give it to her anyway.
Not too long ago, Mina had decided to buy Sana a ring so she could propose. Enough time had passed, that’s what mattered, right? They had reached a level of stability in both their personal lives and their relationship, so Mina just had to make it formal.
They’ve talked about it many times, both of them excited at the thought of a wedding, of spending their lives together. Sana had clear ideas as to what she wanted for the wedding and Mina listened closely and tried to remember every little thing Sana ever said. She had a ridiculously long note on her phone filled with almost everything Sana had ever mentioned about her “dream wedding”.
“How about this one?” Mina said, pointing at a silver ring with a clear crystal in the middle and a few tiny ones surrounding it.
The vendor picked it up carefully, placing it on a small velvet tray and angling it slightly so the light would catch the stone.
“This one is beautiful, not so popular,” she said with a polite smile. “And by the picture you showed me, I think it suits her.”
Mina leaned in just a little to get a better look. The ring was simple and clean. The little crystals orbiting around the central stone reminded her of the stars. The same stars she swore she saw inside Sana's eyes whenever they looked at each other for a little too long.
She could already picture it on Sana’s hand, like it had always belonged there.
“Okay…” She exhaled. “I really like this one. Would it be okay if I take a picture? I want to ask for a second opinion.” Mina asked.
The vendor smiled and nodded.
“Of course, Miss Myoui.”
Mina gave her a small nod and snapped a picture to send to Momo.
[05:30 pm] Mina:
What do you think about this one?
-Attached Media -
[05:32 pm] Momo:
OH MY GOD
MINA
WHAT
[05:32 pm] Mina:
Please, focus. I swear I’ll explain once I'm done.
Do you think she’d like it?
[05:33 pm] Momo:
SHE WOULD LOVE IT
OH MY GOD
IM CRYING
[05:34 pm] Mina:
Got it.
I love it too.
Thanks, Momoring.
[05:34 pm] Momo:
CAN I TELL NAYEON?
[05:35 pm] Momo:
I ALREADY TOLD NAYEON
Mina let out a quiet laugh, putting her phone away and after going back and forth, asking to see one ring and then the other again, comparing the last one to others, overthinking every detail, she finally, finally, made her choice.
“Are you proposing soon?” the vendor asked kindly, placing the ring inside a small white velvet box.
“I’m not sure yet,” Mina admitted with a soft smile. “I guess… when it feels right. But soon.”
Saying those words out loud made her heart beat faster and smile.
Once she stepped out of the store, she pulled out her ring and sat down to explore it, quietly, carefully. After all, this was going to be used my nothing less than Minatozaki Sana, the woman of her dreams. After looking at it for a while, she brought up her phone and called Momo.
“WHAT THE HELL!?” Momo yelled, Nayeon screaming somewhere in the background. “THIS IS INSANE!”
Mina chuckled as she waited for the loud couple to calm down a bit.
“I just think it’s time, you know? It’s been years and finally we both have stable incomes. We can afford a proper wedding.”
“Oh my god…” Momo exhaled.
“Whose bridesmaid am I going to be?” Nayeon cut in. “I need to know, I need to find the perfect dress, I can’t–“
“Babe, this isn’t your wedding.” Momo reminded her.
“Ah–uh. You don’t get to talk. You still haven’t put a ring on it” Nayeon shot back.
“I know this is exciting but please, please, don’t tell her. Don’t even hint at it. She’s quick.”
“Of course not.” Momo declared.
“I’ll make sure she has her nails done.” Nayeon said. “When's the proposal?”
“Hmm… I don’t know yet but I hope soon.”
The couple bombarded Mina with thousands of questions and she tried her best to answer them all. Once she hung up, still smiling faintly, she slipped her phone into her pocket and she walked toward the parking lot.
Life was sweet.
She always thought this is was she deserved, what she needed. This was the life: a beautiful wife, a loving and healthy relationship, the promise of a future filled with soft mornings and funny nights. A family. Her own place in this chaotic world.
There were no doubts, no need for back up plans. This was it.
Mina drove home in silence. Her mind often drifted to the different scenarios she could possibly propose. She thought about what it actually meant to be married. How she thought it wouldn’t change anything about them, after all, it’s something they’ve been talking about for the past year and something that’s been in Mina’s head since she asked Sana to be her girlfriend.
She thought about how marriage would make their relationship legally recognized, formal, and serious in front of the eyes of the world. How they would be responsible to make the hard decisions for each other if anything ever happened to one of them. How their future kids would be safe and under their custody, just in case.
She thought about the reactions from their loved ones, too.
Would everyone react the same way Momo and Nayeon did?
Would her parents approve? They’ve become more and more supportive of them as the years passed by.
What would her brother say? Should they travel to Japan to meet Sana’s parents? Go to the US to break the news to her own parents?
Could it be a FaceTime call?
Mina couldn’t help but smile a little and feel nervous about it.
Her, their, lives were about to change.
She turned the radio on as a way to distract her brain from all the questions, and Halley's Comet came on.
She felt her chest tightening and that so familiar sensation behind her eyes as she remembered the first time she heard the song and thought of Sana as she drove home.
She remembered the first night they talked on the phone until five a.m. because she just couldn’t get enough of Sana. How the conversation flowed smoothly, as if they had known each other forever. It wasn’t awkward or forced, weird or out of the blue, it was natural. Just right.
Memories of how she had thought that every night next to Sana would be a blessing, a gift from life for everything she ever had to endure.
Lonely nights, filled with overthinking and second guessing herself could now be filled with Sana’s voice and that little playful tone she used over the phone that Mina loved.
The coldness from the world around her could now be soothed by Sana's touch and embrace.
She remembered how fast and hard she fell. Like it was just meant to be. She never had a doubt, never hesitated.
She had been sure about other things in life, but Sana? It felt completely different: Nothing ever felt quite as definite as her.
Now she just needed to find the perfect time to ask her to be her wife.
NOW
March, 2026
Sana had just finished work. She stretched her arms and neck, needing to release the tension she’d been accumulating throughout the day, softly pushing away her chair from her desk. Ready to leave.
Then her boss knocked on her office door.
“Sana, I’m sorry to bother you with this, but there's an issue with one of our Japanese magazines and it has to be fixed before midnight so they can print the issues before 6 am.”
Sana nodded, giving her a tight smile.
Of course she said yes. She had worked hard for the position she had now and it definitely paid off, but it also meant things like this: last minute work, quiet sacrifices or loads of work under pressure.
She started taking notes of everything her boss said and once she left, Sana sighed and leaned back in her chair.
Turning her computer on again and gathering her notes, she remembered Mina was picking her up from work today… And now she wouldn’t be able to leave on time.
She didn’t necessarily hate working extra hours, but she hated failing those around her, even with little things like this. She hated being late, which also meant she hated making Mina wait, so she grabbed her phone and gave her a call.
“Babe, hi.” She breathed out.
“Hello beautiful. How’s your day going?”
“Hmm… Not so great. There was an issue with one of our japanese projects, my boss asked me to fix it before leaving.” She sighed, softly.
“Oh, nooo baby.”
“Yeah…” Sana pouted, involuntarily. “Were you already here?”
Mina took a few seconds before answering. “There?”
Sana frowned slightly, head tilting to the side. “You were supposed to pick me up from work today...” She said, absently toyed with the pen in her hand. A hint of annoyance in her tone, too.
Mina facepalmed.“Oh right! Yes! No, actually, I’m not there… yet.”
A small pause.
“You forgot?” Sana asked.
“No, of course not, I just invited Jeongyeon for coffee and lost track of the time. I’m sorry.” Mina apologized. “I’ll be there before you leave.”
Sana stayed quiet for a moment again, then she replied, “Sure. Have fun.”
And ended the call.
She stared at her phone for a second longer before setting it down. An uneasy feeling creeping up on her.
Since Jeongyeon had gone back to Mina’s office after her four-month business trip, Mina would talk about her constantly, and that sometimes annoyed her. The way her tone shifted, how great Jeongyeon seemed to be, how everything she did was new or exciting…
Yeah, Jeongyeon was charming, outgoing and successful. Even before coming back, Mina used to talk about how she’d get them the best deals or fix things between their clients just by taking them out for lunch. She also shared some gossip from time to time… A set of stories that made Sana raise an eyebrow more than once.
That’s how Sana learned about her reputation. When it came to relationships, she was messy, unserious, unapologetic. The kind of person who didn’t mind breaking a couple apart if it meant she’d get her way… At least that’s what Mina had told Sana so, yeah, of course she doesn’t trust her.
On top of that, the main issue was: Mina forgetting things when super cool, charming, Jeongyeon was around.
It had already happened over the weekend.
Mina made last minute plans with Jeongyeon to go for drinks, something casual, out of pure boredom. She invited Sana too, like she always did, especially on weekends as they tried to keep them for each other.
“Let’s go for drinks with Jeongyeon? We chose a new bar in town.” Mina asked, dropping onto the bed, beside her.
“When?” Sana had asked, turning to her side to face Mina. It wasn’t something she was dying to do, but she had to make the effort for Mina, even if she didn’t like Jeongyeon, right? That’s what partners do, sometimes.
Mina gave her a gummy smile and Sana melted. She always thought Mina looked the prettiest when she had that smile.
“Tonight. It’ll be fun.”
Sana sighed when she heard Mina. They had a reservation for their favorite restaurant that night. It was in both of their calendars and the one they had in the fridge. Sana had checked it twice that morning.
Carefully and trying to keep her tone light, despite the annoyance and disappointment, she reminded Mina that tonight was supposed to be date night, just the two of them.
Mina blinked.
“Oh, you’re right! Sorry I forgot, honey.” Mina apologized, pulling her phone out her pocket, already typing. “I’ll cancel.”
She understood how important it was for Sana… It was supposed to be important for her too, but it seemed like Mina had gotten way too carried away by Jeongyeon’s sudden proposal to care.
“It’s no problem, it was a last minute thing.” Mina had told Sana, dropping her phone in the space next to them and leaning in to press a soft kiss to Sana’s lips. “It really won’t matter to Jeongyeon.”
Sana nodded.
“I’m sorry, I won’t forget something like this ever again.” Mina said, giving Sana her best puppy eyes. “What time are we leaving, again?” She asked, propping herself in one elbow.
Sana smiled without looking her in the eyes.
“Seven” she sighed quietly.