A.

mina and chaeyoung always had a close friendship. that’s what it was to the naked eye. their friends would joke about them being wives and soulmates but they always immediately shut it down. they were never more than friends and never less.

chaeyoung was one of the very few people mina knew she could trust fully and feel comfortable around enough to be herself. chaeyoung allowed that space for her and that’s what kept them as close as they were.

the two women were currently sitting in one of the jump practice rooms, preparing for their comeback. this week they were focusing on getting the choreography done for their new english single, “I GOT YOU.” their choreographer had them learn in smaller groups so currently, mina and chaeyoung sat off to the side, scrolling on their phones.

“unnie look at this,” chaeyoung says softly, turning her phone to mina’s view. it was a video of a small cafe that wasn’t too far from the company building. chaeyoung then spoke up again, “we should go.”

mina looked at the video and nodded. with chaeyoung, mina never had to say much. she always knew what mina did or didn’t like.

practice went on for another few hours before the members started to clean up their belongings and make their way out the building. chaeyoung had finished grabbing her things and walked over to mina, putting a hand on her waist, “you almost done?” she asks quietly.

mina turns and nods. she looks at chaeyoung’s hand placement for a moment but said nothing. she grabbed her bag and stood up straight, turning to face chaeyoung. “you want me to drive you home?” she questions quietly.

chaeyoung smiled slightly and nodded, “that’d be nice, yes please.”

the two left the company building together, getting in mina’s car. the only sound was mina’s quiet music and the cluttered sounds of outside life. it was calming and there was a comfortable air around them.

from the passengers seat, chaeyoung turned to look at mina. she observed her silently, taking in all her features. her black hair was still in the messy she bun she had thrown it in during practice, and she had on a black zip up hoodie.  mina, feeling chaeyoung’s gaze on her spoke quietly without even looking at her, “you’re doing it again.”

“doing what?” chaeyoung asks, tearing her gaze away from mina forcefully. 

“you know what. you’re staring again,” mina says softly, glancing at chaeyoung before looking back at the road.

“i wasn’t staring.” chaeyoung claims quickly.

“sure. and the sky is green.”

the rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence, chaeyoung still staring at mina occasionally. once mina pulled up to chaeyoung’s house, she spoke gently, “call me when you get home?” she says, almost as if it was a question. like she was too scared to ask her to facetime.

mina smiled, “i will chase.” she says as she watches chaeyoung walk to her front door. ensuring chaeyoung entered the house safely, mina then drove herself home. all she could think about was how she felt. 

the way chaeyoung stared at her made her feel different. she couldn’t brush it off like she normally did. this time, she felt affected by it. it didn’t bother her, it was just something else she couldn’t quite pinpoint. and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or if it scared her.

once mina arrived to her own house, she did her nightly detox of showering and skin care before she picked a t-shirt and shorts and sat at her desk to do her nightly journaling before bed. just as she sat down, her phone started ringing. 

‘🍓❤️ would like to facetime…’ 

she smiled and answered the phone, speaking softly “i didn’t expect you to call so fast.”

chaeyoung chuckled, “why wouldn’t i?” 

mina took a second to take in chaeyoung’s appearance. she had on a black shirt, her black hair slightly waved and had this cute black and white hat on. “you look cute,” mina says softly.

chaeyoung, caught slightly off guard started smiling, “you think so?”

“you always look cute,” mina states without hesitation. chaeyoung still smiling, bit the tip of her finger, leaning out of the frame. she was blushing, and mina knew that. mina chuckled and spoke again, “why’re you blushing? i barely said anything,”

chaeyoung was still leaned off to the side before she sat up straight again, “i’m not blushing.” chaeyoung says, trying to get rid of the pink tink in her cheeks.

“you were.”

“that doesn’t matter,” chaeyoung says quickly, trying to shut the subject down.

“right,” mina hums knowingly, leaning her chin into her palm. her journal lays forgotten on the desk now, pen uncapped, the page still blank.

on the other end, chaeyoung is shifting in her seat, fiddling with the brim of her hat as if it could hide her expression. “anyway,” she starts, but stops halfway like she’s reconsidering what she wants to say.

mina tilts her head. “anyway…?” she prompts.

chaeyoung sighs through her nose, the smallest smile tugging at her lips. “i just… like talking to you before i sleep.”

the words hang in the air, warm and unhurried. mina feels that same strange flutter from earlier. the one that had been trailing her since the car ride. she presses her pen lightly to the page, absentmindedly drawing a crooked heart without realizing it. “you could’ve just said that,” she says, trying to keep her voice steady.

“yeah, but then you’d make fun of me.”

mina shakes her head with a soft laugh. “i wouldn’t.”

“you absolutely would,” chaeyoung counters, grinning now, more comfortable than she was moments ago.

the conversation drifts from there, small things about practice, random videos they’d found, upcoming schedules. but every so often, mina catches herself staring. watching the way chaeyoung’s eyes crinkle when she smiles, how she taps her fingers lightly on the table when she’s thinking.

at one point, chaeyoung notices. “you’re doing it now,” she says, a faint teasing lilt in her voice.

“doing what?” mina asks innocently.

“staring.”

mina doesn’t look away this time. “maybe i am.”

the sudden silence on the other end is telling. chaeyoung blinks a few times, like she’s not sure how to respond, before laughing quietly, almost to herself. “you’re weird,” she finally says.

“and yet, here you are.”

chaeyoung just smiles, and mina feels something shift between them. a thread being pulled tighter, even if neither of them names it.

it’s nearly 2 am when they finally hang up, but mina doesn’t sleep right away. she lays in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the sound of chaeyoung’s voice in her head. that lingering feeling from earlier hasn’t faded. if anything, it’s louder now, beating quietly against her ribcage.

she isn’t sure if this is the start of something, or just another moment she’ll keep tucked away. but she knows one thing for certain, chaeyoung’s gaze is going to be harder to brush off from now on. 

mina turns onto her side, hugging her pillow loosely. her phone is still on the nightstand, screen dark, but she finds herself reaching for it anyway. before she can overthink it, she sends a single text.

goodnight, chaeng.

she stares at the message for a second, wondering if it’s too soft, too much. but then her phone buzzes almost instantly.

goodnight, unnie. dream of me.