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"yoo jeongyeon!"
"oh shoot" jeongyeon says under her breath as she slams the door shut. without a second thought, she sprints to hide inside her and her roommate's shared closet. thank god they moved momo's plushies in a box last week, or she would've never fit inside.
the front door finally opens after a series of knocks. jeongyeon peers through the slits to watch momo greet the person behind it, the same person she doesn't even know why she's physically running away from.
"nayeon unnie! hi!"
"hi momoring, did you see where jeongyeon went?"
momo glances around the room, her eyes flit to their closet for a split-second.
"i'm not sure..."
nayeon just looks confused,
"i thought i saw her—oh nevermind" she shakes her head. "i was just gonna tell her something but that can wait anyway" she grins and waves it off.
"funny! she was supposed to tell you something too!" momo grins back.
momo, i swear to god
jeongyeon literally bites her tongue to stop herself from saying it out loud. nayeon didn't need to know that. nayeon didn't need to know anything.
"oh? tell her to find me when you see her then"
"oh, will do," momo lets out with a laugh, her tone laced with mirth but not enough for nayeon to catch. she smirks as she watches nayeon walk away from their door with a small wave.
when the door closes, jeongyeon lets out a sigh of relief. footsteps move closer to where she is, and finally, momo opens the closet door.
"nice hiding place you got here," momo says as she surveys the space, the smirk still hasn't left her face.
"momo, what the hell?" jeongyeon growls, momo squints at her.
"is that how you say thank you in your language?"
"thank you" jeongyeon sighs and mutters gently as she makes her way out.
"so i guess we're playing ostrich again huh?"
"what?"
"what—why were you inside the closet?" momo follows up not missing a beat.
instead of answering, jeongyeon has decided that the floor looks more interesting than momo.
"see" momo sighs,
jeongyeon doesn't know what she means by that, but she knows that if she'd really think about it she might figure it out like she always does… but as nosy as she may be, she'll let this one pass for now.
"you do know you can't run away and hide from her forever right?"
"believe me, i wasn't even trying to"
"why'd you even run away... didn't you rehearse what to say last night?"
"i—please forget about that—" jeongyeon looks at her wide-eyed and flustered "p-preferably forever!"
she didn't expect momo to hear that, but it shouldn't be a surprise when you live in such a small space, there's no way to keep anything within these college dorm walls.
momo chuckles at that and jeongyeon couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"but that was perfect, it was cheesy and—"
"please stop, i'm begging you"
momo tries to suppress her laughter as she zips her mouth shut, throwing away the key.
"it's just—i can't, okay?" jeongyeon sits on the floor and proceeds to cover her face.
“but how would you know? you didn’t even take a step outside”
“because she was there!” she looks up at momo who just blinks at her and sighs.
"exactly why you can just tell her, because she's there, what happens if one day she won't?" momo asks as she sits on jeongyeon's bed.
jeongyeon sends her an alarmed look as she stands up.
"why would you say that… where would she go?"
momo just blinks.
"i—jeongyeon, i don’t know? time is precious! that’s why you should just tell her as soon as you can! what if you won't get a chance to tell her again?"
the room grows quiet as if jeongyeon is taking the time to think.
"...tell her what exactly?"
momo just cursed her with her eyes just now.
what? that she likes nayeon? okay sure. but that’s not what this is, that's simply isn't enough to call whatever this is that jeongyeon is feeling in her chest.
on the other hand, lo—lov—she can't even say it—that word is thrown around so mindlessly that she doesn't even know what it means anymore.
but she knows she's definitely not in love. she's not...
(she is. she definitely is.)
the sound of momo's whines echo through the walls. jeongyeon finds it comical how momo is this exasperated. she knows she's being a little shit, but she can't help it.
jeongyeon just can't wrap her head around how it's so hard to just get her feelings out because she's never had this problem before... and it doesn't help that by now everyone knows— everyone , except nayeon.
jeongyeon doesn't know what to make of it. she didn't even have to say anything to anyone either. they just figured it out all on their own.
so why can't nayeon just figure it out?
she burrows her face in her hands again, groans and sinks face down beside momo. kinda hoping this bed is quicksand and it'll just swallow her whole.
"i hate it" she says as she rolls over, she should just roll forever until she hits the core of the earth, maybe she'd feel better.
"i hate how i'm like this with her, i don't know how to say it or do anything because it's just so—" she groans and face plants on the covers once again.
"mm'm mm stupid" she says muffled by the sheets. she knows she's just ridiculous by now, it's just—she can't even understand. it all just seems so dumb.
momo lays beside her and strokes her hair. they have been like this for more than a couple of times for the same reason.
"what if you just stopped thinking? you've been planning this since i don't know—it feels like years now"
it has been years now, it just didn’t make jeongyeon crazy until lately when everyone had just been pairing up naturally and how nayeon has been going on dates too.
now, jeongyeon doesn't know what to do about it or about herself. all she knows is she's trying to contain her feelings but the more she does, the more they are bursting at the seams.
"b—but then i might do something stupid" jeongyeon sputters in defeat.
"yes, that's exactly the point. maybe you should"
jeongyeon groans and lays face up now, eyes to the ceiling.
"now stop acting like this and face the truth..."
the truth. what's so fun about the truth anyway?
"that you've known for a long time and you're sure now, how you're unconditionally and irrevocably in lo—" and like reflex, jeongyeon covers her mouth with her hand before she even says it.
"i'm not—"
(they both know it's a lie.)
momo slaps jeongyeon's hands off her.
"did you just quote twilight?" jeongyeon rubs her hand and laughs.
"jeongyeon! it's not like it's hard!" momo huffs and pushes her off the bed. "and yes, yes i did."
"easy for you to say! you didn't need to confess to your girlfriend because she did it for you!" jeongyeon laughs now on the floor and momo sits up to glare at her.
"did not!"
"did to!"
"did not!"
"did to!"
"no, she did, but then she didn't get to finish it because i kissed her so yeah, that too"
how in the—?
jeongyeon looks back to the sound of the voice.
"sana"
"you two are so noisy" sana shrugs from momo's bed and jeongyeon looks at momo.
"what?"
jeongyeon can only shake her head as she sits back to where she once sat. she's not surprised that sana is here, the two are inseparable and very much in love.
"well, do you want to tell nayeon or not?" sana asks as she moves toward them,
of course she wants to it's just—jeongyeon looks back at momo then back at sana—are they wearing the same thing? she remembers how nayeon has been stealing her clothes for a while now and she hasn't given them back—
"or you can just kiss her too" momo blurts out as sana makes her way to sit between them and plants one on her cheek.
wait—what were we talking about?
"i—" jeongyeon stands up and looks at them both who are looking back at her wide-eyed.
"what are you so scared of?" sana squints so hard at jeongyeon as she moves closer to her space as if trying to read her thoughts.
scared—there's every reason to be scared when it feels like her life is on the line, that she should be careful about this, to plan each step because once it happens nothing is going to be the same again, and nayeon's not someone she can afford to lose.
sana just stares at her. sana, who has other things in mind.
"why, have you never kissed anyone before?"
sana asks as she inches even closer knowing that this is going to break jeongyeon soon enough. too close that jeongyeon might think sana might really go for it and kiss her.
"what—"
"because the last time i checked—" sana continues.
if jeongyeon didn't cover her mouth, that would've been the third time they did.
"fine!" jeongyeon exclaims asshe stands up.
momo just chuckles and hi-fives her girlfriend.
jeongyeon lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
"i promise, i'll tell her this time..."
"when?" sana and momo both say at the same time, then just send each other a look.
but maybe momo was right, fuck the plan, go crazy, go stupid.
the door slams in jeongyeon's face.
why did she say today ? she smacks a palm to her forehead.
is there even an urgency to this?
(a message gets sent to a group chat. the bets are back on.)
jeongyeon doesn't even notice how her legs just take her right in front of nayeon's door.
it's not that hard, they're just words .
she doesn't notice, until nayeon's literally in front of her. she feels like the wind got knocked out of her lungs the moment she sees her. jeongyeon can't figure out how it is when they literally see each other every day.
how is it that everything's just how it is—how it always has been, yet everyday seems like the first?
"yah! yoo jeongyeon!"
she manages to wave at her. but in the inside however, she feels like she could run over a speeding car and surely survive—yes, run over a speeding car—not the other way around...especially when she sees her signature bunny smile and that crinkle in her eyes, how her eyes sparkle in the light, how her presence can rival the sunshine, she's just so beauti—nayeon's talking to her, isn't she?
jeongyeon had to blink twice. nayeon sighs as she locks the door to her room and tugs at jeongyeon's sleeve.
"i said i was looking all over for you, let's go"
"go? where are you taking me? i did not agree to be abducted today," jeongyeon asks as she stares at nayeon's hand over hers as she lets herself get pulled away.
"well, why not?" nayeon pauses to send a look her way. she has that glint in her eye, the kind full of mischief. jeongyeon knows it so well because it matches hers.
"i think anyone would let me abduct them, i mean look at me" nayeon says smugly as she flaunts herself at jeongyeon. making poses like she's some kind of it-girl for a magazine shoot.
in a parallel universe, she could be one, yet jeongyeon just looks at her so unamused like she does this every day… because she does this every day.
"see, you haven't even said a word. i got you speechless."
jeongyeon shakes her head but can't help but let out a smile.
"i'm that pretty huh" nayeon continues and raises her eyebrows at jeongyeon suggestively. jeongyeon scoffs and rolls her eyes. 'of course you're that pretty,' jeongyeon should have said, but why would she say that?
"nabongs, the only thing pretty here is me being pretty sure you're going to jail if you abduct someone"
nayeon sighs,
"jail? when i look like this? that's a bit nayeonphobic don't you think?" she proceeds to send her a playful smirk. she's relentless. jeongyeon can't help but laugh.
"you're no fun, i'll just be a thief then…"
jeongyeon raises an eyebrow at her, “how is that any better?”
"so i can steal hearts," nayeon says with a wink.
"i—"
"i just stole yours just like that…didn't i?" she says as she squints at jeongyeon. she's got jeongyeon speechless alright, with how she's so good at this lame.
"i'm so good at this, look at you like a fish out of water!" she then lets out a cackle out of nowhere.
jeongyeon is so concerned about nayeon's sanity at this moment.
"be careful jeongie, or you might fall" oh she's on a roll.
(well, too late for that.)
now jeongyeon's concerned about her own sanity.
nayeon blows her a kiss, the final nail on the coffin really. and jeongyeon literally trips over nothing, to both of their surprise.
"are you okay?" nayeon laughs but seriously asks as she tries to help her.
"there was a rock!" jeongyeon regains her balance by herself in an instant however.
"yeah, sure jeongyeon"
"i'd rather fall in a sewer drain, im nayeon!" she continues, full defense mode.
nayeon just sends her a grossed-out face and now it's jeongyeon's turn to laugh.
"you're so mean!” she pushes jeongyeon, "and for what!"
jeongyeon just guffaws and sticks her tongue out.
"also a thief because i stole your wallet just now!" nayeon says, sticks her tongue out, and runs.
"what the hell," jeongyeon checks her pockets and they're really not there. she looks back at nayeon who has a stupid grin on her face waving her wallet at her.
"give that back!" jeongyeon yells as she chases her. nayeon just giggles as she looks back at jeongyeon ready to catch her anytime.
"yah!" jeongyeon pulls her by the shoulders and turns her.
nayeon gasps.
jeongyeon just blinks like she's seeing everything in slow motion.
they're too close that their noses almost touch.
jeongyeon lets out a breath as she lets go of nayeon's shoulders.
nayeon giggles then pokes her nose.
instead of running, she just places the wallet back in jeongyeon's pocket where she took it from. she doesn't notice the blush on jeongyeon's cheeks as she turns around to walk.
“you didn’t forget what you promised me last night, right?" nayeon says, looking back. jeongyeon still hasn't left the spot where she left her.
nayeon pouts.
god. she is a toddler.
jeongyeon shakes her head with a smile.
"of course not" jeongyeon says with a smile that reaches her eyes then catches up to her. nayeon's face lights up again.
“you’re the best!”
“i really am, aren't i?”
their fingers just naturally intertwine as they walk side by side.
--
last night:
yeowo 🤢
jeongyeon i want to eat ice cream
yoo beep beep 🚨
then go eat ice cream
but i don't have any
buy one
buy me one? 😇
no
why not 😖
why would i
😩
…
fine
😄
come with me
it's almost midnight?!
well, come with me tomorrow then? 😅
fine
you promise?
...
yes
you're the best! 😘
i know
🙄
🥰
you going to sleep now?
not yet
why? what are you doing?
…
…
thinking of you
jeongyeon grins as she shrinks into a ball under her blanket. nayeon had been typing, erasing, retyping on the other side but hasn't sent anything at all. she must've not expected that. jeongyeon giggles at her little victory of getting nayeon out of words.
--
they end up at a quaint little dessert shop just around the corner, a block away from their dorm.
"you said ice cream," jeongyeon just sends her a questioning look.
"but that cupcake is so cute," nayeon says, pointing at the glass like a child, one hand over her mouth as she gazes at the dessert in her line of sight.
"oh! and those too... look at those macarons" as she pulls jeongyeon to look at them.
"they're so pretty!" jeongyeon just makes a face.
"and this one, this cookie looks sooo good" nayeon looks really giddy and excited.
"are you serious?"
nayeon sends her a frown and then pouts.
dammit! why is she so cute.
"i'm kidding!" nayeon says with a bright smile.
"fine!" jeongyeon utters at the same time.
"wait—what?" nayeon lets out in disbelief, jeongyeon just nods like a bobblehead.
"no, you don't have to, here, i can pay for the others—" she says then fiddles in her bag. jeongyeon stops her.
"no, a promise is a promise, just go sit down somewhere before i change my mind" she says coolly and nayeon just sends her a shy smile.
"you're doing this for me?"
anything for you.
jeongyeon just scrunches her nose and was about to say something like 'no, i'm doing this for me' but then nayeon pulls her for a hug.
it's not like they haven't hugged before, they have. it's just, it's not something jeongyeon can just get used to. she doesn't think she ever will or she'd ever want to.
she can feel her lungs constrict over nayeon's warmth surrounding her. good thing it was quick, she wouldn't have survived it if it was longer.
"you're the sweetest," nayeon says after she pulls away to find them a table. funny, when she's not really fond of sweets.
jeongyeon sighs. the way she would give her the world if she ever asks for it. the way she'd still give it even if she doesn't.
"jeongyeon-unnie"
she snaps out of it when she hears chaeyoung, her next-door neighbor who works at the shop.
she turns in her direction. chaeyoung is looking at her strangely behind the counter.
"oh" jeongyeon then takes out some cash and hands it to her. thank god there is no line.
"unnie" chaeyoung shakes her head, as she places the amount in the cash register.
"you really got it bad huh?"
"what?" jeongyeon scoffs. "no—what?"
"didn't you say you're not a fan of sweets?"
"h—" jeongyeon then looks at the things she has bought on the trays in front of her.
"yet, you are definitely that," chaeyoung says as she points to a macaron.
"uh… sweet?"
"yeah sure but no, not that…" chaeyoung shakes her head.
"what?"
"extremely whipped" chaeyoung whispers.
jeongyeon squints and scoffs. as if anyone is gonna believe that she's not.
"i'm not—"
"this is worse than the last time you two were here" she sends jeongyeon a look as she hands her the change.
"no, it's not"
it was. and jeongyeon doesn't know why she keeps saying no. chaeyoung just makes a face at her.
"you do not not like her, don't you?"
"yup—wait what?"
"unnie, just tell her" chaeyoung snickers. she sees the younger girl's eyes move to where nayeon is then just smiles. jeongyeon lets out a sigh of surrender and looks back.
(bad idea.)
as nayeon's looking the softest she's ever been as she coos at a little child beside the table she has chosen. how is she so loveable that everybody agrees, even stranger's babies?
"do you even know how you look like right now, unnie?" another voice from beside her says. jeongyeon turns and sees tzuyu towering over chaeyoung.
"if you must know…" tzuyu picks up the tray with one hand and places the other on jeongyeon's shoulder.
"you look so stupid, stupidly in lo—" jeongyeon shushes tzuyu before she can say it.
"let my queen speak??" chaeyoung rebuts, and jeongyeon doesn't hesitate to cover her mouth too.
"i'm n—"
nayeon's gentle giggles and smiles fill the air as she tries to entertain the little kid.
jeongyeon sighs. it's not like she can help it if everything nayeon does makes her soft or just grin like stupid. that's how it is, like how it always has been, how it'll always be whether she tells her or not—
tzuyu sighs and looks back at chaeyoung, they both make a face.
she spaced out again, didn't she?
"no one bought that unnie" tzuyu says and sends jeongyeon a knowing smile.
i know.
nayeon eyes widen from shock upon seeing everything tzuyu places on their table.
"thank you, tzutzu" nayeon says hands to her mouth as she grins shyly over the two.
"oh, and dahyunnie told me to say hi to you and chaeyoungie"
tzuyu blushes to that and grins back.
she then sends a look over jeongyeon, who takes a seat in front of nayeon.
if you don't tell her unnie, i swear to god, she mouths with a grin before she leaves. jeongyeon did not catch any of that but she can only hope it wasn't as threatening as it looked. she sends her a grin and a thumbs up.
jeongyeon glances back at nayeon who looks like she doesn't even know where to begin or what to do. why is she looking at jeongyeon with those eyes?
"are you really sure—"
jeongyeon doesn't even let her finish, she just nods.
"i'll just treat you next time then!" nayeon says with a smile that got her eyes crinkly.
"and you're not allowed to refuse" she continues while closing her eyes, she looks like a little happy child.
jeongyeon just chuckles and shakes her head at the sight.
the phone shutter clicks as nayeon proceeds to take pictures of each dessert at the table. jeongyeon's just watching her as she eats her ice cream—the only thing they were supposed to come here for. jeongyeon doesn't really care about that anymore. the only thing she cares about is to see nayeon happy. she likes seeing her smile, and she'd do anything to keep that. happiness suits her. she's so beautiful when she's bubbly and bright and—
nayeon takes a picture of her.
"yah!"
nayeon giggles.
"i haven't taken a picture of that…" she points to the ice cream on jeongyeon's hand.
"also, you looked so cute i couldn't help it"
jeongyeon felt a blush coming up to her cheeks.
nayeon giggles then proceeds to pick one from the dessert tray to taste, which didn't seem like an easy decision for her, and jeongyeon can't help but laugh at the faces she makes. she finally settles on a cupcake and takes a bite. jeongyeon chuckles at the little frown that forms on her face. that cupcake must've tasted so good.
s o cute
nayeon just looks back at her with a blink... did she hear that?
"why is your face like that!" jeongyeon asks with a laugh as she ruffles nayeon’s hair to her face.
“yah!” nayeon blows it off and just sends her an angry pout.
god. it made her even cuter.
jeongyeon sighs and fixes nayeon’s hair for her. she seems appeased for now, as jeongyeon strokes her head. she removes it when nayeon offers her to take a bite of the cupcake. how could she say no to that?
oh
"i told you you'd like it!" nayeon says with a smile, clearly pleased with herself. jeongyeon can only nod. she never doubted her anyway. she only doubts herself, how will she ever be worthy of this girl who's just sitting in front of her, now adorably stabbing a spoon to an ice cream cup. the most beautiful human being she's ever laid her eyes on.
is there a world where she'd even think about her the same way?
"nayeon?"
nayeon looks her way. ice cream on the corner of her lip.
"what is it?" nayeon asks and jeongyeon doesn't even hesitate to reach out and wipe it off with her thumb then mindlessly places it in her own mouth.
nayeon blinks at her,
"i—" jeongyeon removes her hand abruptly from her face and averts her eyes after realizing what she did.
blush dusts nayeon's cheeks but jeongyeon doesn't see it. she's too busy picking up a cookie from the tray to hide her embarrassed face so she can stuff it wholly into her mouth.
nayeon can only stare at her as she chews.
"thiff iff feaffy foof" she says with a smile, mouth full of cookie and regret.
--
jeongyeon looks over and sees nayeon run a thumb onto her teeth. she's worried. they had no idea it was going to rain. they can wait it out but it could rain harder. she wouldn't want to get stuck here, so she asks chaeyoung if they have an umbrella they can borrow which thankfully, they have. it's bigger than she thought but it'd do. when jeongyeon gets back to where nayeon is, she sees her fiddling with shoes… they're white.
there's no other way then.
"can you hold this for a second?" she hands nayeon the umbrella and then crouches in front of her.
"what are you doing?"
"hop on"
"what? how are—"
"just… c'mon" and jeongyeon just waits.
she feels nayeon's weight on her back as she carries her. they have done this a few times before—penalty to games or nayeon just being lazy—and she can carry her around effortlessly. nayeon has always been light.
"god, you're so heavy" jeongyeon huffs.
"you're such a liar!"
she had to wince when nayeon hits her square on the shoulder, "i'm light and perfect!"
she is.
jeongyeon's shoulder shakes as she starts to laugh.
"stop laughing! i'm gonna fall off!" nayeon hits her again, but this time lighter than the last.
"that'll be your fault! stop hitting me!" nayeon puts her head on the space she hit, apologetic.
jeongyeon was about to ask for the umbrella but nayeon beats her to it. she has never seen nayeon use an umbrella before and she knows nayeon would rather put a box over her head, yet for some reason, nayeon is holding it, well trying to, over their head.
"ready?" jeongyeon asks as she holds on her legs tightly, while one of nayeon's arms wrap around her neck. she feels nayeon nod onto her head.
"alright hold tight!"
jeongyeon smiles as she walks with nayeon in tow. it's not that simple however when nayeon tries to keep the umbrella still and in place on top of their head with one hand. it must've been too heavy for her since she's having a hard time trying to hold on to jeongyeon without accidentally choking her—she's failing at this.
"i'm sorry" she says then proceeds to unintentionally place her hand somewhere else instead, like on jeongyeon's chest.
jeongyeon gulps and pauses, nayeon must've realized as she's now squirming around in embarrassment.
what a mess.
jeongyeon stops and decides that there's only one solution.
"yah jeongyeon-ah!!!"
nayeon yells as jeongyeon makes a run for it. it's only a few steps if it's a run. jeongyeon holds her closer and can feel how tight nayeon's arm is around her, her left hand gripping jeongyeon's opposite shoulder as her other hand is still holding on to the umbrella with all her might. she can feel nayeon's head burrowing on the back of her head too.
jeongyeon just laughs as she makes it through the block. she slows down when she reaches the dorm and finally puts nayeon down in front of her door, "here you go, door to door pizza delivery,"
she grins as nayeon gets down and puts away the umbrella.
"what kind?" nayeon chuckles.
"hawaiian" jeongyeon doesn't even think twice.
"how dare you—pineapple on pizza—you hate me that much?!" nayeon retorts and jeongyeon just guffaws.
"what? i love pineapple on pizza—" jeongyeon says in between laughs.
"heathen!" nayeon cries out as she wipes off the droplets of water on jeongyeon's face with her sleeve.
jeongyeon just grins.
nayeon didn't even pick up what jeongyeon just said. jeongyeon isn't any better anyway.
"thank you jeongyeonnie"
she feels nayeon's lips on her cheek.
it was quick but enough to send jeongyeon into feeling like she could survive being crushed by a speeding train.
"how can i ever live without you?" nayeon continues as she sends her a smile so charming.
okay, make that two speeding trains.
just in time, dahyun opens the door, and nayeon sends jeongyeon off with a wave as she goes in. jeongyeon is still stuck where she is, in front of dahyun who only stares at her.
"unnie, can you hear that?"
"hear what?"
"listen..."
jeongyeon doesn't know what she's supposed to be hearing. dahyun smirks at her.
"i can hear your heart from here"
jeongyeon can't help but snort at that.
"you're all ridiculous y'know that right!" she laughs.
"but it's true, listen, it's bouncing out your chest, and doing flips right as we speak"
"oh be quiet you," she says and dahyun laughs at her.
"oh it's hit the ceiling just now"
jeongyeon just shakes her head.
"if you can only see yourself right now unnie, you're not fooling anyone"
jeongyeon sighs,
"you are so in lo—" and covers her mouth with her hand. she hears dahyun say something under her hand but she can't understand it.
"i said this is why you have zero girlfriends unnie…" dahyun says as soon as she takes it off.
jeongyeon laughs when she remembers dahyun has two.
"just tell her"
"i can't"
"why not?"
jeongyeon sighs. she doesn't even know anymore.
dahyun just stares at her and squishes her face.
"you can do this. i believe in you unnie"
jeongyeon just smiles and ruffles her hair.
--
jeongyeon huffs in defeat outside of her door. she tried to knock but momo and sana really locked her out. how do they even know she still hasn't told nayeon yet?
she sighs. they're the worst when they gang up on her.
on the other hand however, she's kind of thankful too, as she didn't have to third-wheel on them doing god knows what. jeongyeon can never guess what goes on inside their minds.
the last time they had a sleepover, jeongyeon ended up not sleeping at all as the two just had to know who could flip the most pancakes—at midnight. they ended up cooking and playing all night long that jeongyeon had to ask mina if she could sleep in her room instead since sana, who's mina's roommate, is in her room.
funny how she still ends up third-wheeling when she finds herself in mina's room again where jihyo also happens to be. beating each other on mario kart like it's nobody's business.
jeongyeon can only sigh.
if nayeon was here she wouldn't be feeling like this. the way nayeon just conveniently forgot about her switch's existence after a month or so. she can still fondly remember how they still played animal crossing, how she still had iron ores to spare if nayeon asks her again, how she just hoped nayeon would stop shaking trees when she's visiting—saying that her character looks cuter when stung by wasps, which is just ridiculous.
jeongyeon shakes her head.
"jeongyeon, you look like a crazy person smiling alone like that," she hears jihyo say and jeongyeon's' face transforms into a scowl. jihyo just grins at her.
"jeongyeon"
jihyo just sends her a look, she didn't have to say more. her eyes are already saying a lot of things.
jihyo was the first one to know. she just said it out of the blue and jeongyeon didn't even have to confirm it. she didn't have to. jihyo knows her so well that she couldn't lie anymore. that's why she hasn't stopped pestering jeongyeon ever since.
"i'm not" jeongyeon says out loud. mina looks back at her and at jihyo for a second then back to her game.
jihyo is still staring at her,
"i'm not" jeongyeon says quieter than the last.
"say it one more time and i'll believe you" jihyo seriously looks at her and she can only let out a huff.
"you can't keep on denying it, jeongyeon"
jeongyeon closes her eyes.
"there's no use hiding it anymore"
jeongyeon isn't even hiding it—she knows she's see-through sometimes. well, most times. okay, all the time. it's just she's having a hard time with putting it to words and admitting it to nayeon because how can she say what she feels when the words don't feel enough—
she takes out her phone to read a message.
jihyo🍅🍅🍅
stop being such an ostrich
yoojeong 🐶
???
you’re the biggest chicken i've ever seen
"yah!'
jihyo isn't there anymore. mina puts down her switch and moves closer to where she is.
"are you okay, unnie?"
"aside from the fact that everyone's been choosing violence against me the whole day? i'm great"
mina smiles and sits beside her on the floor.
"is there something on your mind?"
jeongyeon hums.
"i have no thoughts head empty," she says and mina chuckles,
"maybe because it's someone" mina softly lets out and jeongyeon sighs, she can't believe even mina is doing this to her too.
"i know how it's hard to tell someone what you really feel because you think you don't need to but sometimes you have to because they're as clueless on what to do as you are..."
"what do you mean?"
mina just looks at her with lips pressed together.
"you know how jihyo had no clue i was in love with her even when i sent her every sign i could? yeah"
jeongyeon snickers, she never thought of jihyo as dense, but maybe it does make you stupid. love.
"you know how happy you are every time you're together, don't you think she feels the same way too?"
jeongyeon shakes her head. she doesn't know.
"what if she doesn't?"
now it's mina's turn to shake her head.
they just sit there in silence until jihyo reappears to sit beside them.
"you do know there's a reason why everyone keeps on saying you should just tell her, right?"
jeongyeon didn't think about that, she looks back at jihyo.
"why?"
jihyo just looks at the door.
"i could tell you, but promise me you'd tell her how you feel the next time you see her" she finally says
"no fair" jeongyeon says,
"your call"
jeongyeon lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"fine"
they shake on it.
and for some strange reason, there's a knock on the door. the two nudge her to take it. she raises her eyebrows at them, but does it anyway.
jeongyeon opens the door to find—
"nayeon?"
what is she doing here?
"jeongyeon?" she looks equally confused.
"i—"
jeongyeon looks back. mina and jihyo are not there anymore.
"are you here for mina?" she asks, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"no" nayeon just shakes her head.
"oh jihyo then?"
nayeon shakes her head again and sighs.
"i came here for you"
oh.
"me?" jeongyeon tries to swallow the lump forming on her throat.
--
jeongyeon can't believe nayeon can just appear like that. it's either cosmic or her friends are having a ball right now, (she'll find out soon enough.)
maybe she really should just throw her plans out the window when nayeon's just leading her up to the rooftop right now anyway. she hears nayeon sigh for like the third time since.
is she okay?
the floor is still wet from the rain earlier, and the sun's almost setting.
"what's up?" jeongyeon asks as soon as they find a place dry enough to sit. nayeon doesn't say a word, instead, she just plays with her hands.
"you know you can tell me anything right?" jeongyeon adds, and as soon as she says it, it strikes her how she knows nayeon would say the same, yet the silence has actually been deafening from the both of them in regards to matters of the heart.
maybe nayeon just needs some quiet,
so she gives her that and waits wordlessly for her to spill out whatever it is she wants to say.
she catches nayeon glancing her way. she smiles at her. nayeon looks away.
she's too quiet though, jeongyeon can almost hear the gears in her head whirring.
what is she even thinking about?
jeongyeon wonders if maybe she needs to slice the tension in the air with a sword, maybe she should break the silence, maybe she should just think out loud for the heck of it, maybe she should just get it over and done with—
jeongyeon can't help but wonder if this has anything to do with what jihyo was gonna say.
she sighs, maybe she's the one who needs some quiet, just to clear her mind.
but then she recalls every one of their friends telling her one thing.
just tell her.
this could be the stupidest time, but she should say something. anything—
"i have to tell you something!"
they both say at the same time.
“oh," jeongyeon says, not expecting that to happen. "go first”
“no, you go first” nayeon replies just as fast.
"i insist,” jeongyeon says back as she stands up, accidentally brushing her hand over nayeon. nayeon's hands, they're cold… and shivering? jeongyeon doesn't hesitate to take them, rub them to warm them up. nayeon avoids her gaze for a moment, breathes out then stands up.
“i—how do i even say this,” nayeon looks back at her and chuckles shakily,
“what is it?” jeongyeon asks, genuinely curious as she stands beside her. this must be important. she hopes it's not something bad or something she has done.
nayeon just slaps her shoulders as soon as she's near and then smiles.
“it's just—god, i told you to go first!"
jeongyeon rubs her shoulder as she waits for her to tell her what she means... once again she's met with silence but this time, nayeon takes her hand and holds onto it a little tighter than usual. she then places her head on the space on jeongyeon's shoulder she hit a while ago.
"is that what you wanted to say?"
nayeon raises her head to look at her as if expecting something. jeongyeon can't read her mind for crying out loud.
“that you have nothing to say—” jeongyeon lets out with a laugh.
nayeon's brows furrow and she shakes her head,
“it’s not that i have nothing to say! it’s just—” nayeon takes a step in front of her that now they must be breathing the same air.
jeongyeon sends her a teasing look.
“wait—are you confessing im nayeon?!” jeongyeon jokes, she knows for sure how she shouldn't be making jokes at a time like this but she's just stopping herself from jumping off the building because of how close nayeon is.
she should've just jumped off if she were to be honest.
“please just-just accept it” nayeon steps back from her, her eyes full of something she's not used to seeing from her before.
"huh?" jeongyeon has never been more confused in her entire life. nayeon just whines.
what even in the world is happening?
“jeongyeon!” nayeon pushes her arm,
why does she look like she wants to cry?
“accept what?” jeongyeon blinks, lost. nayeon slaps her arm again and jeongyeon just laughs in confusion.
“uhm—thank you??”
“no! you're the worst, i told you to just go first!” now she looks angry and embarrassed, she had to take a few steps away.
“wait—” jeongyeon catches nayeon's wrist and she turns back.
"look at me" jeongyeon tries to meet her eyes. nayeon keeps on avoiding it.
jeongyeon sighs and tips her chin.
nayeon blinks once, twice as soon as they lock eyes. her cheeks turn pink as she takes her hand off her.
jeongyeon opens her mouth but nothing comes out.
"i—" jeongyeon manages. but it did nothing but punctuate the silence as the moments pass.
"what were you gonna tell me?" nayeon asks, looking straight at her. heat crawls to jeongyeon’s chest to her face and she can't do anything about it...
“were you—" nayeon squints at her
"were you gonna say you like me yoo jeongyeon?” she says as if a spark just set something on fire in her mind.
“what—”
nayeon has never sounded more serious. jeongyeon swallows and takes a step backward. nayeon takes a step closer to her once again.
"no—i meant—" jeongyeon takes another step back, but it's as if her speechlessness is fueling nayeon to move closer. jeongyeon does nothing to stop her however.
"i don't—like you—" jeongyeon finally says and they both pause.
she can almost count nayeon's lashes from how close she is to her face… and nayeon looks hurt.
what
"i mean, not that i don't like you, it's just—"
"what?" nayeon croaks out, her eyes now filled with something else.
"i—"
fuck this.
jeongyeon drops everything to meet nayeon's lips then and there.
if only nayeon could know how she wanted to do this for so long, how she has wanted her for so long, how this is something she can no longer deny anymore, how this is the scariest thing she's ever done in her life—
she smiles when nayeon kisses her back.
there might be 24 letters in hangul but there are no words in the korean language that can be formed to explain how jeongyeon feels about im nayeon at this very moment, a moment that could easily become eternity.
eternities within seconds, with every second full with pure bliss that makes everything seem like a dream—a dream jeongyeon would give up every waking moment to be in.
but she doesn't have to... because it's happening. it's real.
nayeon gasps and pulls away.
jeongyeon can only blink and hope her feelings got through. words might've failed her but her actions rarely do.
nayeon takes a long look at her,
"i think... i think i get what you mean but—"
her fingers graze her cheek,
"will you kiss me again so i can make sure?"
jeongyeon laughs and pulls nayeon back to her. she's willing to do it over and over, just so nayeon could know her heart.
it's almost as if nayeon wanted her for as long as she did as soon as they collide. it just seemed so impossible for jeongyeon. she just never thought about it her whole life. she laughs in between the gaps they take to breathe.
how can she be this stupid for such a long time when it's all so clear?
just like the sky they're underneath, the same one they've always been under but never saw the same way.
"the way we could've done this sooner," jeongyeon says breathlessly as she holds nayeon close in an embrace.
nayeon just giggles under her hold.
they watch the sunset, the sky envelopes them in a warm brilliant glow of pink, and gold.
"you still have the rest of your life to make up for it" nayeon quips as she intertwines their fingers together.
"bold of you to assume that i'm still alive right now!" jeongyeon guffaws.
"you sure you can just die like that? when you haven't even said how much you love me yet!" nayeon teases, gripping jeongyeon's shoulders firmly as if to make sure nothing can take her away.
"you say that like you're any better—"
jeongyeon just catches her lips again to shut her up. they can't stop laughing in-between, at how stupid they must have always been.