Work Text:
Sequel of Minnie's Dahlia
“Took you more than a year.”
“Oh, did I?”
Minnie hummed in response and walked toward the balcony. Her fingers tapped gently on the railing while her eyes lingered on the city beyond, as though the distant lights were somehow easier to face than Miyeon.
Miyeon followed soon after, leaning beside her with that familiar, almost-smirk. Minnie only rolled her eyes. She knew Miyeon was teasing her—no, not exactly teasing. Those innocent-looking eyes lingered on her too carefully, waiting for even the slightest reaction.
On this occasion, however, she refused to be fooled.
“Whatever,” Minnie huffed and looked away.
Miyeon let out a quiet laugh and sighed, soft enough to sound wistful.
When was the last time Miyeon was so carefree with her? If Minnie remembered, it was probably a year ago. This was the year they released ‘Dahlia’ under their I Burn album.
“So,” Minnie asked after a moment, eyes still fixed on the city below, “what’s this Te Amo about?”
“Well,” Miyeon tilted her head, feigning thoughtfulness despite the amusement tugging at her lips. “What do you think Te Amo means?”
Minnie inhaled a sharp breath. She knew what the song was about—or who it was about. What she did not know was what the song truly meant to Miyeon. She wrote it, sang it, and performed it a year after she wrote Dahlia.
A year since their first kiss—and their last kiss, too.
Nothing came after that. Nothing came after 8:00 PM, after midnight, or after the morrow.
Minnie raised a brow at Miyeon, who only blinked back innocently. “You tell me, Miyeon-ah.”
“No. You tell me, Minnie.”
Minnie’s jaw clenched. She would never fall for this trick. Of course, she knew what ‘Te Amo’ meant. But voicing it felt weird, felt foreign at the tip of her tongue, even if it was only three words.
Perhaps neither was ready to face whatever they might have—or could have. It was frustrating, yes. But would it even matter now, after a year had passed?
Was there something that was supposed to happen, anyway?
“I—” Minnie inhaled a sharp breath. She could feel Miyeon’s gaze on her, and the hairs on her neck stood up. She bit her lower lip; her hands had turned pale from gripping the railing hard.
Why was it so hard to say it?
Miyeon’s gaze never faltered, but it dipped briefly to Minnie’s lips before settling back on her eyes.
“I—” Minnie gulped. She could barely breathe. “I love you…”
Minnie noticed the way Miyeon parted her lips as though she were about to say something, only to stop herself at the last second. The corners of her mouth fought hard to stay still.
“Do you?”
Minnie stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well…” Miyeon moved closer. Her shoulders softly brushed against Minnie's. “Do you love me?”
God…
Minnie was silent for a moment. Then she bit her lip. “Do I?”
And as soon as Minnie’s eyes landed on Miyeon, she felt her heart sink a little. Miyeon’s lips had pressed into a thin line, her brows furrowed, and her innocent eyes dimmed before they focused on the city below.
“Was it not obvious?” Miyeon muttered, more to herself than to Minnie.
“I suppose it was…noteworthy enough.”
Miyeon hummed.
“It still took you more than a year,” Minnie reiterated.
She needed to hear it. She needed something tangible, something that could finally define these feelings, these deflections, these... what?
Confession?
“Tell me, Miyeon.” With a push, Minnie turned her body to Miyeon, though her eyes remained on the ground. “I can’t keep doing this. It has been a year. You confuse me.”
“Then at least look at me if you want to hear it.”
Minnie felt a finger beneath her chin, gently lifting her face until she finally met Miyeon’s gaze. Her breath caught in her throat again. She wanted to say it, say how Miyeon’s eyes had always captivated her, drowned her, devoured her—and yet, those same eyes also carried a quiet uncertainty that Minnie had never known how to answer.
“What are we, Miyeon-ah…” Minnie asked instead.
Miyeon’s hands cupped Minnie’s cheeks fully, her eyes briefly lingering on her lips, longing to taste them again after a year.
“I’m sorry I was not… well, forthcoming enough.” Miyeon hesitated. “Last year was a whirlwind. Not just with you, but with us, the entire group.”
Minnie nodded in understanding, closing her eyes as she chased Miyeon’s warmth on her cheeks.
“We had our break with I Burn, and suddenly, we had to…lie low. Soojin’s departure, then hiatus… The last thing I remember is that I had to release my song afterward. It was too fast for me to catch up. I’m sorry I could not get back to you as soon as I wanted.”
Minnie let out a quiet sigh before stepping closer to Miyeon.
“Still took you a year.”
Miyeon snickered. Minnie would never let Miyeon out of this in her lifetime.
“I suppose…” Miyeon wrapped her arms around Minnie’s waist, her chin resting lightly against Minnie’s shoulder. “Forgive me?”
Minnie only hummed.
“And here I thought I was being romantic with my song…” Miyeon chuckled breathlessly, closing her eyes as she caught that same warm, gentle scent of Minnie, which is a tad bit luxurious, too.
“You were. I just needed you to say it.”
Minnie pushed Miyeon a bit so she could see her eyes—those same eyes that had always swallowed every coherent thought from her.
“Say what exactly?” Miyeon smirked.
Minnie rolled her eyes. “I’m not doing this again!”
And from there, Minnie heard that carefree, melodious laugh. All the while, those same innocent-like eyes focused on her.
“Is the song not obvious enough? You said it was noteworthy!”
Minnie groaned. She was about to break away from their embrace when Miyeon pulled her back immediately.
“I love you.”
A smile broke from Minnie’s lips as soon as those words reached her ears.
“So…” Minnie started. This time, she broke free from Miyeon’s embrace. She could see how Miyeon’s eyes flickered with a bit of panic as soon as she stepped back a bit. “I have been meaning to ask this. Cliche as it sounds, but what are we?”
Miyeon raised a brow. “Are you not my girlfriend since last year?”
Minnie tried to mask the surprise that briefly flashed across her face. But she was too honest, and Miyeon was sharp enough to notice.
“We are?” Minnie furrowed her brows.
Miyeon clicked her tongue. “Are we not?”
“I—”
“That explains this whole…vibe and atmosphere with you now,” Miyeon sighed, running a hand through her hair.
“But—”
“I did not kiss you for nothing, Minnie. That was—” Miyeon blushed, turning her head away. “That was my first kiss, you know…”
Minnie gawked. “It was!? ”
Miyeon’s lips pressed into a thin line, ignoring the question.
“But you had your kiss with Replay, right? Surely, you shot that before the episode’s release?”
Miyeon bit her lip. “Before all that… I wanted yours first.”
Minnie scoffed. This whole thing was unbelievable. A year spent wondering about Miyeon’s feelings, replaying their first kiss, asking herself if it would ever happen again. She let out a quiet sigh before stepping closer to Miyeon. This time, neither of them pulled away.
Miyeon let out a nervous laugh beneath her breath when Minnie buried her face against her shoulder, arms tightening around her waist almost instinctively.
“Still mad?” Miyeon murmured.
Minnie huffed. “A little.”
Miyeon only smiled before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I suppose that is fine as long as you love me.”
Minnie cringed, and Miyeon let out another laugh. “Okay, that is enough.”
And for the first time in a year, Minnie no longer feared the silence between them. Not when Miyeon’s arms remained wrapped around her so naturally, nor when her quiet laughter still lingered warmly in the night air between them.
“So is this what Te Amo was about?” Minnie whispered. “An answer to Dahlia?”
Miyeon smiled. “Was it really not obvious?”
And this time, Minnie laughed tenderly. Soft and easy, without the weight of the silence that once carried between them.
“Still took you long enough.”