𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐨

Hearing the way her voice changed and the look on her face was enough for Harry to back track almost immediately. "No, no, don't apologize. I was just teasing. Plus, the tavern has been busy recently so I don't think I'd even have time to hang out." His eyes fell to where she was digging around in her bag, wanting to offer to help but not sure how best to assist. So he was relegated to supervising, ready to hop in should something go amiss but she seemed very capable of balancing things, probably something she perfected in the café. "I'm sure it's not that - " His words were cut off when the door opened to reveal, and it wasn't even that much of an exaggeration, a jungle. The humidity and warmth was one of the first things that washed over him and the surprise quickly melted into amusement and, to be fair, amazement. He thought his room was filled with things but almost every inch of the room he could see was covered with a plant. "You were not kidding."

pushing the front door open, minseo couldn't help herself but turn to look at his face once he walked in. the warmth of her place was obvious, not quite resembling the temperature in a green house but getting damn near close to it. ❛ i know, ❜ the senshi beamed, a string of laughter coming from her as she walked into the small house and moved towards the kitchen. removing her apron and setting her things on the counter, minseo moved towards the shelf on the far wall to grab her watering can, stepping to the right so she could fill it with water from the sink. ❛ i tried to warn you. i stopped keeping count after one hundred, ❜ minseo admitted, looking over her shoulder at him, watching the way he took in her place and realized this was the first time she had ever had anyone besides mona over. let alone a MAN. ❛ they all have names too. every single one of them. ❜

minseo grinned at some level of humbleness being displayed by the other, a look of almost being impressed gracing her features as she tilted her head, offering a laugh and a shrug of her shoulders; ❛ i have no doubts, ❜ she mused. in her citizen form, minseo wasn't much other than a girl who happened to be strong... but in her senshi form ?? brystol wouldn't stand a chance. ❛ y'know, when i walked over with you, i assumed we were just working with the bags... ❜ minseo started, flexing her fingers and looking down at them. ❛ — and now that i think about it, i didn't bring my wrist wraps. ❜

❛ mhm, suuuuure it isn't, usagi... ❜ minseo grinned, a taunting smirk on her features as a laugh pushed its way past her lips. she had already began throwing the couple of croissants in the bag, glancing at the blonde once more before tossing in a third, rolling her eyes. ❛ i'm off at four, ❜ the senshi smiled, handing usagi the paper bag over the counter. ❛ aaannndd it's, ❜ she glanced at the POS for the time, ❛ — two o'clock, so two hours. can you survive that long with those ?? ❜

a fit of giggles left minseo as he played along with her antics, the sound bubbling from her throat before she could help it. harry just made her so... giggly. she was a sailor scout, for planets sake, and yet she still fell so effortlessly for charm and good humor. jupiter, help her. minseo then blushed at the compliment, but played it up by dragging the back of her hand across her forehead in relief; ❛ whew, thank goodness. that's a relief !! ❜ as they got closer to her house, minseo dipped the hand not cradling the meal he had brought her into her bag, fishing for her house keys, tongue poking out between teeth as she did so. his question drew a pout from her, however, and minseo looked at him with an apologetic expression; ❛ no !! of course not, harry. don't be silly. i've just been... caught up. café has been pretty hectic and i've had to step up and help out with it all. ❜ that and i am a sailor guardian and have a whole other life no one knows anything about — no biggie. ❛ this ones me, ❜ minseo pointed to the light green house to their left, turning to guide them up the front stoop and to the door as she retrieved her keys, raising a brow at him. ❛ i'm telling you, harry, my plant collection is... intense. i hope you're ready for it. ❜

❛ pretty much, ❜ minseo laughed, looking up at harry with almost an apologetic, hate-to-break-it-to-you expression on her face. ❛ it definitely can, you just need a good mentor. in that case; hi, my names minseo — i will happily teach you about keeping leaves alive.❜ she took his hand and shook it for dramatic effect, biting the inside of her cheek before she dropped the act. gasping at the comment, minseo turned to him, almost with... stars in her eyes. ❛ like... a good romance protagonist like elizabeth bennet or... or bad romance protagonist like hallmark ?? ❜ the best way could mean a lot of things... but one thing about minseo was she took her romance incredibly seriously. her face bloomed at his words, a bashful giggle leaving her lips as she shook her head; ❛ maybe one day. ❜ likely not ever with her sailor scout responsibilities but.. a girl could dream. turning a corner, minseo spotted her house just down the road, glancing up at harry; ❛ not much further, i promise — how was the tavern today ?? ❜

a small , lopsided smile graced her lips as the blonde straightened her posture , reaching for her own pen despite a trembling hand that she refused to acknowledge . keep it together ! ❛ sailor jupiter , ❜ mona spoke , yet despite the confidence she knew she had to wear for the other , the blonde couldn't help lamenting the discovery . so much so that after a couple of seconds , she promptly latched out to pull minseo into a tight hug , shutting her eyes close again . ❛ i'm so sorry i didn't find you sooner , i didn't know ! i should've known ! ❜ hopefully artemis wouldn't be upset , it was his fault too ! before mona could think to stop it , a tear rolled down the senshi's cheek . ❛ i'm not alone anymore ... ❜

❛ oh mona, ❜ minseo whimpered, relief and despair twirling around one another and lacing through her words like a fraying ribbon. her breaths shuddered, lungs starved for breath, the pulsing ache in her temples beginning to subside as the memories her mind, her planet, had been trying to show her began to make sense. mona — sailor venus. her best friend in this lifetime and the last... they had been brought back, brought HERE, for a purpose that was greater than themselves. minseo hardly understood it, but she felt it in her bones that this wasn't the first time they had been in a position like this. the sailor scouts would find each other again, as they had in the past, and as they will in the future. ❛ i'm so sorry it took me so long to remember... i can't believe you were the one in my visions this entire time !! ❜ drawing back, minseo pressed her forehead against the others, fingers digging into the fabric of mona's shirt, tears relentlessly cascading down the curves of her face. ❛ neither of us are alone anymore...❜ she muttered gently, feeling a sense of calm wash over her, knowing she had someone to talk to about everything she had been discovering, remembering, working on... ❛ do you... do you think they're here, too ?? do you think she's here ?? ❜ minseo inquired delicately, eyes fluttering open as she only leaned away enough from the embrace to see mona's face. ❛ i think there's more of us here, mona... i can feel it. ❜

minseo laughed, shrugging her shoulders absentmindedly; ❛ you know, when i originally said i'd come over here with you i thought we were gonna just be hitting bags but... if we're gonna be sparring, i think i could try it. ❜ she had plenty of experience beating people up, that was for sure, but it helped when she was able to capitalize on her sailor abilities and didn't have to hold back. with brystol's attitude, minseo knew it was a tall ask of herself to refrain. then... a word caught her attention, and she looked up confused; ❛ since you were... made ?? what do you mean ?? ❜ minseo inquired, tilting their head, hands resting on her hips as she eyed the other curiosity. ❛ i mean, i'd be down. always up for learning a new skill and all.❜

minseo nodded her head, shrugging her shoulders, tucking her phone back into her pocket and walking in step with harry — their footsteps almost syncopated in rhythm as they moved along the sidewalk. the brunette looked at him with a pout, shaking her head dismissively; ❛ if you ever wanted, i could teach you. it's much simpler than people think it is... it's usually the overkill with water and too much light that takes out the poor guys, ❜ that and minseo would be able to revive any dead plant harry managed to kill, you know, being a senshi and all that but — she didn't feel the need to share that information with him. she COULDN'T. the shells of her ears warmed when he said he loved the gifts she gave him, taking the compliment and absolutely running a marathon with it in her mind, looking up at him to smile. ❛ soooo, we'll stick to baked goods. noted. though i do have a pretty extensive romance novel collection if that would suit your fancy more than a plant would. ❜

despite the topic of their conversation being mona's absolute favorite , minseo's well - being was an unquestionable priority , which is precisely the reason why she found herself losing focus in matters of love as the other girl seemed to get progressively more and more pale . she was not fine , and the vision terrified mona in a very particular way ; a déjà vu of some kind . she couldn't quite guess what was going through her best friend's head right now , what it was that made her feel so sick but regardless , mona needed to help . she felt a larger than life obligation to help and she was just about to — until minseo hit her knee on the underside of the table . ❛ JUPITER ! ❜ the word burst out of her lips with no prior thought just as mona practically launched her body off her seat and straight towards her friend , hands promptly finding minseo's shoulders . ❛ i-i don't know why i said that but- but  you're gonna be okay , i'm with you . i think i have some aspirin in my- ❜ almost instantly , just by touching the other girl , her own thoughts became hazy memories except this time , she could put a proper face to one of the figures . minseo's face . ❛ you- ❜ before she could properly piece her memories , her thoughts , mona felt a distinct warmth at the center of her forehead that had only come to her once before ; on the night she met artemis . now , different from sailor v's crescent moon , a circle with a small cross underneath glowed faintly in its place for a brief moment until mona forced herself to focus . ❛ the aspirin ! i know i have it in here somewhere , ❜ carelessly , she dumped the contents of her bag onto the counter to hopefully find the medicine , including her transformation pen and crescent compact . she'd just explain those later if needed .

❛ venus... ?? ❜ minseo breathed in reply on the coattail of a shuddered breath, tears burning the corners of her eyes, the ache in her temples so severe she thought she'd keel over and be sick. the glow between mona's brows, as brief as it was, not landing upon blind eyes as a warmth pulsed between her own that furrowed in reply. the clattering of mona's belongings on the table sounding like the ringing of gongs against sensitive ears, the light in the room brightening to the point where minseo could hardly keep her eyes open. ❛ venus... ❜ she said again, desperate for mona to respond to the moniker, to confirm the memories making her skull ache. her eyes fell on the pen, the visions flashing again — the sight of mona hoisting it up, calling out to her guardian planet along side herself and others... but, she couldn't recognize them all. no, just... ❛ sailor venus, ❜ minseo breathed, to herself, a trembling hand reaching into her own bag and pulling out her own pen — the first time she had shown it to anyone, holding it out for the blonde. ❛ i... i remember.❜

minseo put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes as she tilted her head at her friend. the whole fun of planting was getting your hands dirty and seeing your hard work pay off when the babies sprouted new leaves or reached their green limbs to try and grab the sun. not finding any sense in arguing with her anymore, minseo shrugged her shoulders, smiling at the compromise; ❛ yeah, that works.❜ minseo moved towards one of the plants on her kitchen table, taking one of the new pots with her, nodding so rosetta would follow. ❛ c'mon, we'll start easy. my monstera is getting huge and she deserves a bigger pot. ❜

minseo looked at harry as if he was crazy for thinking thirty was a ludicrous number of plants. thirty were just the plants she had to water today. a prideful smirk lingered on her lips as he joked about her ... hobby. it was more like an obsession at this point, mothering her plants as one would their pets, but minseo took pride in how beautiful her place looked with greenery in every corner. literally every corner — even hung from the ceiling and draped over the sides cabinets. if there was a flat surface in her home, there was a plant there. ❛ it's kind of like a jungle, it gets pretty warm in there sometimes, ❜ minseo said with a laugh, taking the phone back and beaming at the screen. god, look at all her little kiddos... her little green babies. minseo glanced back up at harry, her smile stretched ear to ear. his excitement was endearing, and it didn't help the blush on her cheeks to subside, her pace picking up speed as she now was all-too-eager to get to her apartment and show him everything. thankfully, it was just another block or so. ❛ it'll be the best breathing experience you ever have, ❜ minseo said with confidence oozing from her words, nodding to further emphasize her point. then, lowering her voice to a playful whisper; ❛ — maybe if you see one you like, i'll even let you take it home with you. ❜

❛ useful is definitely a word for it, ❜ minseo laughed, shrugging her shoulders as she reached for one of the stray rags behind the counter, mindlessly beginning to wipe at the back of the display as the crowd in the cafe seemed to die down. ❛ terk, ❜ minseo repeated, nodding as if approving the name. it was unique, that was for sure. terk — she wondered if it meant anything. minseo perked up at the idea of suggesting pastries, leaning around the cabinet so she could point to the varying options on display; ❛ the double dutch croissant is always a winner but... being as you just had a croissant, the lemon tart is phenomenal. can never go wrong with a blackberry danish, either. ❜ looking at terk, trying to gauge their reactions to her suggestions, misneo smiled; ❛ if you're super hungry though and don't just want a pastry— the sun-dried tomato pesto sandwich is to die for. ❜

minseo nodded, her breathing a bit unstable due to how ... awkward she was around cute guys. she turned into such a wuss, definitely not the behavior a sailor guardian should be exuding but... she was just a girl after all. jupiter help her if that ever changed !! minseo laughed, a bit too loud, at his joke and nodded her head; ❛ oh uh — yeah, absolutely. easy to clean up, foooorrrrr sure. ❜ her gaze flickered around the shop, clutching the handle of her bag like her life depended on it, like if she breathed near a display it would topple over. ❛  sooooo, dennis, ❜ minseo started, walking around as if there were eggshells scattered about. ❛ — got any recommendations ?? ❜

minseo laughed at brystol's comment... until something about what she had said threw the senshi off. since she was... made. was that like a sex-joke or something ?? whatever the joke was, it went right over min's head, nodding along with her words instead. ❛ i used to do karate and taekwondo but ... those don't seem to be popular fighting styles around evermore, ❜ she said with a forlorn sigh, pouting at the thought of missing out on getting her next belt color. oh well. minseo grinned at the challenge, a genuine pep to her step; ❛ you'll probably beat me, ❜ minseo agreed with a shrug, ❛ — but if they ever open a dojo around here... that victory is as good as mine.❜

in her civilian form, minseo didn't have much. sure, she was way stronger than the average person but a lot of that had to do with genetics and her workout routine. if brystol could see minseo in her sailor form, any sense of competition on her end would be lost. sure, you could pick up weights... but could you summon LIGHTENING ?? the thought made the brunette smirk, picking up her bag to follow the other towards the boxing area of the gym. ❛ i used to do martial arts when i was a kid,❜ minseo informed the other, mainly as a conversation starter but partially just to inform them that she had experience with hand-to-hand combot. in more ways than one. ❛ — i should really get back into it. ❜ for her and the princess's sake.