Nayeon, is currently on a call with her sister Chaeyoung. Now, that she thinks about it, its been weeks since she had a chance to speak to her.
“Nayeon-unnie, did you forget about this? I know it’s been around 3 months, but this is important.”
The thing is, Nayeon did forget. Its clear, Nayeon thought she was called a Pabo here and there but she never believed it. Now, maybe not so much.
She doesn’t admit it out loud, but Chaeyoung gets it. They are sisters after all. She can feel the disappointment coming through the phone when Chaeyoung sighs and Nayeon winces, already trying to think about excuses.
“How could I possibly forget that?” she attempts lying, poorly though.
Chaeyoung is amused to say the least, and doesn’t buy Nayeon’s lying for a second. Her minor in Drama and Acting has not prepared her for lying to her sister, she thinks.
Now, the thing is that Nayeon knows what Chaeyoung is talking about. She promised her mother few months ago that she will be present for her cousin Jisoo’s wedding, which her mother was ecstatic about. Because that way Nayeon can visit home as well. And it was RSVP, and Nayeon’s mother is very particular about those. So, her presence was now a mandate.
She watches as Mina silently sits through the chaos happening in front of her, where Sana and Momo are in a Heap wrestling to get a bite of the last cookie left. Well, mina has one in her hand but no one is going to fight her for it. Or maybe SaMo are just way to soft for her, she ponders.
“So, you’ll be attending, right?” Any thoughts that Nayeon has about SaMo’s love for Mina evaporate into thin air. God, how is she going to get out of this one?
“I’ve been really busy with my projects for the past few weeks,” she starts but Chaeyoung cuts her off. Nayeon gives up any hope she has about avoiding this.
“You promised Mom, and you can say no to me. But I am just trying to get you out of talking to mom about this. You won’t be able to avoid this one, unnie” Chaeyoung states.
“Ya, Okay Fine. I’ll be there!” Nayeon says with a tilt in her voice. It comes out louder than intended, because she is frustrated to be honest. Her voice was loud enough that Jeongyeon finally pokes her head out of the Bedroom where she was folding Nayeon’s laundry. After, Nayeon pouted her way out of it.
“Hey, c’mon you know….” Chaeyoung tries to continue but Nayeon cuts her off. “I know, I am sorry. I’ll be there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen your short self anyway”. She jokes and hears Chaeyoung laugh, her sister’s laughter warms her heart. She misses her dearly but life has gotten in the way. Chaeyoung continues to tell her about her new friend Tzuyu or something, a new transfer student in her High School.
“Oh, and before I forget, Mom said you’re bringing a date with you Unnie, which was surprising cause as far as I know you weren’t seeing anyone.” Chaeyoung continues. Well, shit. Nayeon thinks, when she promised her mom about this, she did have a person in her mind. She was actively going on a few dates with this guy Jin, now that she thinks about this, it was premature of her to think that she would go to a wedding with this guy in the near future. To sum it up, they pretty much stopped seeing each other after their fifth date or so because it seemed like they’d be better off as friends than anything. They still talk sometimes and last time she checked Jin was dating someone, although she has no idea who.
She went out with this other guy after Jin, she doesn’t even want to think about his name. They dated for two months, and he was such a perfect guy, Nayeon was swept off of her feet with his grand gestures. Turns out, this scumbag was a textbook cheater. Honestly, Nayeon should’ve known but it didn’t hurt her any less. Jeongyeon held her as she cried when she found him kissing another girl in a café they frequented. She smiles as she thinks about his broken nose, the next time she saw him. Jeongyeon is very protective of her loved ones, to say the least. Nayeon has no remorse for his broken nose, but she does feel bad about Jeongyeon’s knuckles though. She took care of it though by putting on Band-aids and Jeongyeon recovered fast.
But she cannot say no, her mom will hear about her not having a date from Chaeyoung and set her up with someone and she will have to go through this bullshit and moreover her mom will go off on a rant that Nayeon needs to find somebody or she will end up alone living with her dogs in some shitty apartment in Seoul.
“I have a date Chaeyoung-ah. You will meet them when the time comes. Now, don’t you have homework to do or something?” Nayeon says. Chaeyoung agrees and promises Nayeon to pass on the message to their mom so she doesn’t call Nayeon for this and hangs up. As soon as she hears the buzz, she screams and lays down on the sofa.
That brings the trio’s attention to her. “Hey,” Mina sits next to Nayeon on the couch. “Are you alright?”
“I don’t have a date for this wedding I promised my mom I’d attend. And really, it’s my own fault but now that I’ve said I’d bring a date, I kind of have to cause if not then my mom will set me up with anyone. And I don’t want that so no I am not alright”. Nayeon whines. Honestly, Nayeon loved weddings but as she grew up, she just grew tired of them. Its really annoying how the family members pester her by trying to know all about her life during these events and then brag about their own children.
“You’re Problematic, also really does your family set you up with people? What are you a kid?” Sana announces loudly and Nayeon snorts. Momo continues “Maybe, you shouldn’t have lied and there won’t be a problem”. Nayeon groans loudly. She hates this, Jeongyeon would defend her if she was here. She is Nayeon’s saviour and angel.
“You guys are not helping” Nayeon grumbles.
Speaking of angels, Jeongyeon enters the room. She settles right next to Nayeon on the other side and drapes her arms on her shoulders. Its natural, all this touching between them. Jeongyeon is not a touchy person in general, she gets a lot of shit from Sana about it but her body seems to gravitate towards Nayeon a lot since the start of their friendship. Its all so natural, and nobody bates an eye to it anymore, it’s like nobody notices it.
She relaxes under Jeongyeon’s arm and looks at her. With one look shared between them Nayeon feels better already even though there is problem which is dying to be solved. ]
“What’s going on?” Jeongyeon asks quietly, her nose brushing under Nayeon’s ear. Nayeon struggles to formulate a sentence but in brief explains the whole predicament to Jeongyeon. It would be useless for her to act like it’s okay cause Jeongyeon doesn’t need words, she understands Nayeon like no else does. They share the same brain cells after all, as Mina had joked once. “She is a Dumbass”, Sana states quietly.
“You could hire someone, like that dumb Netflix movie whose name I Forgot” Momo suggests.
“Momo that is a very bad idea, it could end up being a creep” Mina added looking at Momo. She has no malice in her voice, and if anything, her tone was way too sweet. Momo smiled and called Mina from the sofa where she was sitting on the other side of Nayeon. Mina moved and sat next to Momo, and even before she could settle in Sana came running towards them, crashing on the other side of Mina squishing her between them. It was very cute, but Nayeon has other things to think about.
“Just ask a friend,” Jeongyeon suggests calmly. Nayeon knows for a fact, that they are polar opposites of each other but in situations like this, she appreciates it more. Nayeon is loud and expressive in every sense of the word while Jeongyeon neutralizes the atmosphere with her warm and calm aura. The Debate continues while everyone suggests what friend Nayeon should take to the wedding. She needs to sell this to her family; she needs them to understand that this is long term and not just some fling so they stop setting her up with random people. Her family is aware of her Bisexuality so even if she asks one of her girlfriends it wouldn’t be a problem. All her college friends or office friends are not close enough to do her this favour, which leads to the conclusion that she has to ask someone present in this room. Well, great that’s not how she thought her day was going to be when she woke up today.
They all discuss the options; Sana is way too sarcastic towards Nayeon for anyone to believe they are dating. Then there is Momo who cannot lie to save her life, she is way too pure for her own good. And then there is Mina, but her family knows Mina already. They are more like sisters than anything. Also, this weird Momo, Sana and Mina thing is going on, which she knows nothing about but she doesn’t want to complicate it any further.
“Well, it has to be me then.” Jeongyeon offers, while smiling. And Nayeon looks at Jeongyeon properly, there is no doubt in her gaze and to be honest Nayeon is really flustered but what else can she possibly do, she is desperate. They are wrapped around each other and Jeongyeon starts playing with her fingers, its distracting. And Sana announces loudly from her own cuddle puddle “Look, they don’t even have to try. Trust me, this is the best choice.” Mina and Momo nod and provide their approval for the idea.
“Okay then, its settled. Jeongyeon is going to be my date for the wedding. We can pull it off”. Nayeon states as she and Jeongyeon share eye contact and she knows it will all be okay as long as its natural just like now. Jeongyeon presses a kiss on the side of her forehead confirming the plan. She just prays that all of this works out in the end.
They are around 30,000 feet above the ground. And, the plane is flying steadily in the night sky but Nayeon is unable to settle down. She is nervous and her tummy is acting weird maybe the fluttering has something to do with Jeongyeon sleeping on her shoulder or maybe she is just really out of it. They have a lot of time before they reach Seoul. She snaps a picture of sleeping Jeongyeon just because she can. Oh God, who looks this good while they sleep. In Nayeon’s opinion and call her biased but she thinks that Jeongyeon has the best candid pictures. She is going to save this one in her extensive Jeongyeon gallery.
Having Jeongyeon with her is comforting, she knows that this whole ordeal is going to take a lot of energy from her and who to better spend it with than Jeongyeon. They just connect with each other in a way that Nayeon has never had with any other friends. Nayeon has known Mina, Sana and Momo since High School while they still live together in their huge condo apartment but nothing comes close to this feeling of comfort she gets when Jeongyeon is around. Her other friendships are special in some other ways.
“You know, you always move your left leg when you’re nervous” Jeongyeon states with her sleepy voice. That surprises Nayeon, “Shit, I am so sorry. Did I wake you Up?” she apologizes. Jeongyeon shifts from her shoulder and gives her a lazy smile which she returns except hers is gummier. Jeongyeon once told her that she loves her smiles and specially her bunny teeth, it helps her confidence a lot. Her teeth were an insecurity once, they haven’t been anything else than an asset since Jeongyeon entered her life though. She doesn’t fall short on compliments about Nayeon’s smile. Nayeon is really grateful for that. “Its Okay, what are you so nervous about?” Jeongyeon asks.
“Everything about this wedding, you and me and how will we pull this off.” Nayeon counters with a pout. “I know that you don’t want to talk to half of the people that will be present but trust me, I’ll try to make this easier for you. We got this, you trust me, right?” Jeongyeon answers her.
Nayeon smiles “With my life, and the only reason I am not dreading the coming days is because you’re there with me. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for even agreeing to this. Thank you for being my fake girlfriend” she laughs with sincerity laced in her voice. Jeongyeon just hums and softly grabs Nayeon’s hand to play with it. “Sleep now, we still have some time left.” Jeongyeon commands and she agrees, now that she has talked to Jeongyeon she can feel the nerves calming down in her bones and to be honest preparing for the wedding has exhausted her. She puts her head on Jeongyeon’s shoulders and drifts to sleep.
They decide to take a rental, and as soon as Jeongyeon starts driving them to their destination Nayeon starts thinking, this is happening. She feels guilty about lying to her family, and Jeongyeon is acting calm but Nayeon knows her enough to know that she is nervous as well. She is repeatedly brushing her hair and as much as Nayeon loves Jeongyeon’s hair and her ministrations with it, it’s a habit for when she is nervous.
Jeongyeon must’ve noticed her being quiet which was unusual. “Hey, we will be okay. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I’ll still be there for you as a friend.” Jeongyeon promises. And if one thing Nayeon has known since she has become Friends with Jeongyeon is that she keeps her promises.
“As long as you’ll be there, I think we will be okay. Just stay with me at all times, okay?” Nayeon states.
“Of course, where else will I be as your girlfriend”? Jeongyeon casually states.
Nayeon is taken aback from the sound of it, yes Jeongyeon is her girlfriend for the sake of this wedding but instead of any awkwardness she feels her heart fluttering. She likes the sound of this, she decides.
When they pull up to the Ims Estate, Nayeon is completely out of it, as if Jeongyeon senses it she takes her hand and whispers a “I am here” in her ear. That pulls Nayeon out of her stupor. It’s a little chilly in Seoul, Nayeon notices now. They take their bags and enter the home, it’s late, and Nayeon doesn’t want to wake anyone up but to her surprise the sight of her parents in the living room greets her after she enters the home. She drops her bags on the side, and greets her parents. Jeongyeon follows her after dropping her bags as well.
To Nayeon’s surprise, her mom greets Jeongyeon with a strong hug “Its so good to meet you, I am so glad Nayeonnie has someone to take care of her” she continues. Nayeon is embarrassed to say the least. While Jeongyeon is greeting Nayeon’s dad, Nayeon’s mom whispers “She’s very pretty” to Nayeon with a mischievous smile. She is grateful for the support her family provides her and considers herself lucky. She nods towards her mom confirming that yes, Jeongyeon indeed is very pretty.
Jeongyeon comes near Nayeon and sits next to her and puts her hand on her lower back and Nayeon relaxes and notices that this is going great she has nothing to worry about. They retire to their respective rooms for the night after exchanging pleasantries. Nayeon goes towards her room first and Nayeon’s mother also retires to her own room. As Jeongyeon is picking up her luggage from where she left it earlier, she sees a shadow cast on her. She looks and sees Nayeon’s father who is trying to be as intimidating as he can be, cause from talking with each other earlier Jeongyeon is sure that Nayeon’s father can be anything but intimidating but she plays along.
“If you hurt my daughter, there will be consequences” Nayeon’s father announces. Jeongyeon, politely with absolute certainty in her voice also announces “I’ll never hurt her, sir”. Nayeon’s father feels the sincerity and gives his fatherly smile “Then, you have my blessing. You’re family now. Good night Jeongyeon” he retreats towards his room leaving Jeongyeon with her bags and an open mouth. Jeongyeon feels at home already, she smiles and goes towards the room that Nayeon went into.
There’s only one bed. Of course, there is. Her parents assumed, she would share the bed with her “girlfriend”, rightfully so, but Jeongyeon isn’t actually that and they’ve shared their beds numerous times, but sleeping in the same bed as girlfriends is a different story. Jeongyeon enters the room, and doesn’t seem to notice the one bed situation or maybe she just chose to not comment on it and drops her bags on the side of the bag.
“I think your mom likes me, and I’ve had a cute talk with your father about consequences, so far I’d say we are doing pretty well” Jeongyeon smirks.
“Yes, they seem to like you alright. Don’t act all smug about it.” Nayeon teases and drops down on her bed. Jeongyeon follows suit and lays on Nayeon’s abdomen, she seems exhausted. Nayeon starts running her fingers through her hair, it’s a habit more than anything.
“You’ll have the best girlfriend at the wedding.” Jeongyeon whispers quietly. She seems sleepy. They get up and change into their respective clothes, its routine they’ve lived with each other so long as housemates, it’s pretty much muscle memory now.
They settle down on the bed, and are not cuddling like they usually do, but when Nayeon wakes up in the middle of the night is wrapped under Jeongyeon’s embrace from behind and she thinks about the distance they kept when they went to bed hours ago and smiles. Well, at-least they tried.
Nayeon is having some juice in her kitchen conversing with her mother about this rehearsal dinner that they are obligated to attend. Jeongyeon is still sleeping, they were exhausted with all the travelling. Speaking of Jeongyeon, she slides in the kitchen and back hugs Nayeon asking her about the plans for the day. Its natural, Jeongyeon gets cuddly with Nayeon when she is still half asleep.
“The bed was cold cause you weren’t there” Jeongyeon states and asks about coffee. Nayeon gets off the barstool and pours a mug for Jeongyeon, while handing it over she gets a thank you kiss on the cheek. Nayeon’s mom who was watching the whole interaction smiles “You can have a real morning kiss girls, I am one of the cool ones” she teases.
Before Nayeon could deny and think of excuses, she feels Jeongyeon’s hand on her jaw moving it towards her face. It’s a light kiss, soft and makes Nayeon feel mushy inside. Nayeon needs to get her shit together, but it’s so gentle that for a second Nayeon forgets that she is in her kitchen where her mom is present. Jeongyeon tastes like her toothpaste and coffee. Nayeon decides she likes it.
“Great, now that is over. You girls should get ready for the rehearsal. We will leave soon” Nayeon’s mom exclaims. When Nayeon looks over at Jeongyeon, the sunlight is peeking through the windows and is doing nothing to hide the pink flush present on Jeongyeon’s cheeks. Jeongyeon agrees and leaves towards their room, while Nayeon gets teased endlessly by her mother but she is not annoyed, she is more focused on thinking about the particulars of the kiss they shared.
“Dear God, can this get any worse. I can’t believe I used to like weddings before.” Nayeon mutters to Jeongyeon.
Jeongyeon chuckles “I think you like the aspect of the attention you would get as a Bride more than the wedding itself. Im Nayeon, not liking weddings, what world are we living in?”
“Oh please, but yes you’re right. It’s a special day, I have extensive list of things that I’ve already decided about my wedding day. One thing I know for sure, there are going to be lesser people than this wedding” Nayeon grumbles while sipping on her champagne.
So far Nayeon has done a good job of avoiding her relatives. She wants to continue this, just chat with Jeongyeon and have a good time and return home after dinner so she can cuddle with Jeongyeon while watching a movie. Chaeyoung is coming over, from her trip as well. She is excited to meet her little sister.
Jeongyeon tells her that she will get a refill for both of them and heads towards the bar where the bride-to-be is seated with her mother. Before, Nayeon can think of joining a group to chat where she would not have to fry her brains, her other Cousin Seoyeon practically runs towards her in record time, just waiting for an opportunity and Nayeon suppress the urge to just shout in the void. She puts up a fake smile to greet her cousin but before she could get a word her cousin speaks up.
“So, who’s your date for the wedding” she asks. Wow, she didn’t even say hello, that’s a new low even for her.
“That would be my girlfriend Jeongyeon,” Nayeon states with her fake smile.
“Oh, so you couldn’t get a date for the wedding so you just brought your friend, that’s okay too. You must meet my boyfriend; he is somewhere around the bar.” Seoyeon rants. Now, Nayeon is not a violent person by nature, but Seoyeon brings out the worst in her. Ever since they were kids, as soon as Nayeon understood how toxic her cousin was she read the red flag and she distanced herself as much as she could. But, tonight Seoyeon is just asking for it she thinks. Her loud announcement about Nayeon’s girlfriend and her own boyfriend was enough to garner unwanted attention towards Nayeon, which was the second red flag. Nayeon is only human, her mom would understand if she does something to Seoyeon tonight, right? Its not even that Seoyeon couldn’t possibly digest the idea that Nayeon could have a girlfriend, but the nonchalance in her tone disregarding anything that is related to Nayeon is the annoying part. This is not the first time it’s happening.
Before she could give Seoyeon a piece of her mind, Jeongyeon entered the conversation smoothly by snaking her arm around Nayeon’s lower back and firmly addressed Seoyeon “Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Nayeon’s girlfriend. We’ve been dating for a while now.” Seoyeon couldn’t even get a word out of her jaw hanging in the air, Jeongyeon spoke again “I am so sorry, but Jisoo has been asking for Nayeon, so if you’d excuse us, we could discuss about this some other time”. She flashes her a sarcastic smile and walks off with Nayeon in her arms.
“Hey, you okay? I am sorry I took some time at the open bar. Jisoo started talking to me but as soon as I heard her, I came over. I am--” Jeongyeon starts talking while making their way towards her cousin Jisoo.
Nayeon smiles at Jeongyeon and interrupts her apology rant “I am okay, thank you for saving me. You’re my knight in shinning armor. Well, your shirt is pretty sparkly so I’d say you’d fit the criteria. So, thank you”. Nayeon leans upwards and pecks Jeongyeon on her cheek, which ended up being pretty close to her lips because of the angle. She gives her bunny smile, and Jeongyeon grins back. They’ve reached their destination.
“As much as I am happy that the great Im Nayeon took some time to attend my wedding, I don’t want to be up-staged by you guys being the cutest couple at my own wedding” her cousin Jisoo explains and she leans forward to give a warm hug to Nayeon. Nayeon blushes at the remark, and hugs her cousin back. Jeongyeon has her eyes set on Nayeon, as she watches Nayeon interact with her cousin Jisoo.
“Don’t worry that will never happen. I’ve already met you and the groom; we stand no chance” Jeongyeon assures Jisoo. Jisoo grins heartily at the comment. They catch about the wedding and other things, its been a long time since Nayeon had the time to meet Jisoo. And out of all of her cousins Jisoo is the one Nayeon likes the most. After conversations filled with some anecdotes about their childhood, Jisoo has to tend to her other guests with her husband-to-be.
“I really like this one. Keep her!” Jisoo whispers while giving Nayeon a parting hug and Nayeon blushes again.
Jisoo bless her heart, kept Jeongyeon in the loop while they were talking, she never left her out and before leaving she hugged Jeongyeon as well. The rehearsals dinner went way better than Nayeon could’ve pictured, all because Jeongyeon was there the entire time holding her hand.
They are back home in the most comfortable pajamas they could find. When they got back home Chaeyoung was already home unpacking stuff. As soon as Nayeon entered, Chaeyoung tackled Nayeon in a hug. Both sisters were beyond excited to catch up with each other. To her utter dismay Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung hit it off, like some long-lost sisters. They shared the same sense of humour, she observed as they were having a conversation with the TV on in the background. God, she should’ve seen it coming, Chaeyoung is speaking more with Jeongyeon about some games, and honestly Nayeon stopped listening after a certain point. Chaeyoung is not even talking to Nayeon directly, even when both of them are talking about Nayeon, right in front of her.
“You guys know that I am sitting right here, right?” Nayeon states. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung share a smile like they’re thinking the same thing. Jeongyeon wraps her around Nayeon and tackles her into her side of the couch and tickles her for kicks. And Chaeyoung joins in. They stop after a minute or so, after Nayeon begs them continuously with tears in her eyes because of laughing so much, she breathes properly after they stop, Chaeyoung gets back on the other sofa in the living room and Jeongyeon is still hovering over her. Its out of pure instinct maybe, or Jeongyeon looks so happy that she kisses her. Its not deep or anything. Its just soft slow kiss.
“Oh God, keep it PG-13 Bro. That’s my sister” Chaeyoung shouts from the other side breaking their kissing session. Nayeon takes a pillow and throws it at her sister who laughs whole heartedly. She convinces herself the kiss was to sell the “Jeongyeon is her girlfriend” agenda to Chaeyoung. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows she forgot that Chaeyoung was there with them in the living room, that’s a later problem anyway.
“Its okay, you guys are really cute. Also, Jeongyeon-Unnie if you hurt my sister. I’ll hire a hitman”. Chaeyoung states, where her face went from her crooked grin to a stoic expression. She cannot possibly be intimidating with her dimple, and small stature but Nayeon gives her credit for trying.
“Never bro. Don’t worry your sister is in good hands” Jeongyeon plays on. Chaeyoung nods, and they continue talking like they didn’t take Nayeon’s breath away just minutes ago. Nayeon loves this more than she’d admit. They spend the time cuddling on the couch, catching up with Chaeyoung.
Later at night when they’re in bed, Nayeon states “This is weird, but maybe my family likes you more than me.” Jeongyeon acts all smug about it for a minute. But later Jeongyeon murmurs, “Don’t worry, You’re still my No. 1”. Nayeon hums, it’s their thing. Nayeon has no problems with people falling for Jeongyeon’s charms as long as Nayeon remains her No.1.
“I just want them to know that you have me whichever way, you’re not alone.” Jeongyeon whispers. Nayeon looks up from her position where she was tucked in Jeongyeon’s chin and looks at her with a soft smile. This is her Jeongyeon, the selfless person, who takes care of her friends, does their chores, is just one call away for anyone who needs help and she feesl her heart swell with love. Nayeon looks at Jeongyeon’s lips, she wants to kiss her. They don’t know who moved but they are leaning in, but before they can even feel each other’s breaths on their lips Nayeon remembers there is no one in the room, why would they kiss, there is no agenda to sell here and stops. It’s a little awkward, Nayeon sees an unreadable expression on Jeongyeon’s face, was it disappointment? Maybe, they’re just exhausted.
“Let’s just sleep” Nayeon murmurs and resumes her position in Jeongyeon’s arms which tighten around her. If Jeongyeon wanted to say something she doesn’t.
On the Day of the wedding, Nayeon and Jeongyeon are having a great time at the table with Nayeon’s family. The vows that the couple shared were beautiful, and the decorations were a sight to behold. During the vows, Nayeon turned towards Jeongyeon to check if she is okay, and found Jeongyeon staring back at her. Nayeon’s eyes were watery, listening the couple promising each other a lifetime was enough. Maybe Nayeon was sap, a tear fell when she made eye contact with Jeongyeon, who was quick enough to wipe it with her fingers. Jeongyeon gave her a sweet smile and kiss on her knuckles to calm her down. Nayeon blushed and was embarrassed that she cried. Later Jeongyeon reminds her, that Nayeon declared that she hated weddings. That got Jeongyeon a heavy shove on her shoulders.
When the speeches were being made Jeongyeon put on her movie narrator voice and continued to entertain Nayeon throughout. Nayeon meets some more relatives and Jeongyeon is so smooth with everyone, they’re falling for her charms and Nayeon wonders how does Jeongyeon do it? Jeongyeon has this adoration painted on her face every time she looks at Nayeon. Maybe, Jeongyeon’s just a great actress. Clearly better than her.
Later as the music is blissfully following in the venue, with a few couples dancing here and there Nayeon is sitting at her table while Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung check out some food entrees. Jisoo comes around looking beautiful in her wedding dress, Nayeon compliments her on her looks and the wedding. Jisoo grows serious after that “I am so happy for you Nayeon. Jeongyeon’s a keeper. You’re keeping her around, right?” Jisoo has known Nayeon since they were kids, so Nayeon knows that Jisoo genuinely cares about her happiness, which warms her heart.
“Yes, I will” Nayeon states with such certainty in her voice that she surprises herself. Jisoo gives her a satisfied grin and joins her husband for another dance. Nayeon decides she wants to dance with Jeongyeon too.
As soon as Jeongyeon arrives at the table Nayeon extends her hands “May I have this dance?” she asks and Jeongyeon grins taking her hands.
A classic Ed Sheeran song is playing, she forgets its name but it’s very much a fit for the wedding. Jeongyeon has her arms on Nayeon’s back and waist while Nayeon has hers on Jeongyeon’s shoulders, they fit perfectly snugly in each other’s arms she notices. Nayeon feels peace and calm, they’re slow dancing to a romantic song and all Nayeon can think about is the safety Jeongyeon’s arms provide her. She hopes she does the same for her friend. Like Jeongyeon could read her thoughts, she squeezes Nayeon little tighter.
Nayeon feels a flash go around her when her eyes are closed and notices her Mom asking the wedding photographer to take their pictures while they dance. Jeongyeon notices the same and states with mirth in her eyes “They keep looking towards us”.
“Should we kiss?” Nayeon asks. Jeongyeon holds her breath as soon as Nayeon asks the question.
“I mean, as girlfriends we could. Your parents are watching and they are taking pictures of us. So, I guess, it would be appropriate.” Jeongyeon states lowly.
“But, is it okay with you?” Nayeon looks into Jeongyeon’s eyes.
“Yes. I am okay with it.” Jeongyeon replies. Nayeon doesn’t wait much after that standing on the tip of her toes a little, she leans towards Jeongyeon.
The first thing she notices is how different this kiss is from the first two that they shared. Nayeon feels her toes curl when Jeongyeon tilts her head to go deeper and Nayeon feels her knees go weak. Thank god, Jeongyeon is holding her tightly. Air becomes a necessity and they stop, breathing heavily in the middle of the dance floor clutching each other like their life depends on it.
“Nayeon-ah, this isn’t~” Jeongyeon starts but stops when she hears Nayeon speak in a daze “Its almost over”. Jeongyeon doesn’t complete her sentence and gives Nayeon a smile that even Nayeon notices is fake.
Its time to leave Seoul. Nayeon and her family say their goodbyes. And the Ims look more concerned over the fact of meeting Jeongyeon again, as Nayeon’s mom insists they come home for Christmas. After, all the hugging and pleasantries. They head towards the airport in their rental.
“We had them fooled. We did it” Jeongyeon states with a tone in her voice.
“Yes, we did” Nayeon answers. Nayeon wonders if Jeongyeon feels this disappointment and emptiness now that they’re on their way towards their home. They don’t talk much after that, much to Nayeon’s dismay. Its never awkward between them. Nayeon thinks she will figure it out.
Nayeon doesn’t figure it out. Out of all her friends, she is the biggest procrastinator. So, it doesn’t entirely shock Nayeon that she is avoiding the problem rather than facing it. But this isn’t something she can avoid; they share the same home for god’s sake.
But, Im Nayeon is not a coward. After a month of walking on egg shells around each other, it is pretty clear to Nayeon that she has feelings for Jeongyeon and now that they share the same space like they always do, Nayeon misses the contact they shared during the wedding. After the wedding the physical as well the emotional contact has lessened, and it displeases Nayeon to a great extent. Their whole dynamic has changed and maybe it is Nayeon’s fault but Nayeon decides that its time to fix it. And Nayeon is done avoiding Jeongyeon and having to look at Jeongyeon’s kicked puppy demeanor every time Nayeon passes by. Keeping all of this aside, Nayeon simply misses Jeongyeon.
Jeongyeon once told her “When you put your mind to something, there is nothing that could stop you. Its one of the qualities I love about you the most.” Nayeon recalls. Yes, Nayeon is really sacred. That she is the only one with this feeling, and Jeongyeon’s going to remind her that they played house for the sake of her cousin’s wedding and reject her. That is not even the worst part, she might totally lose Jeongyeon as a friend. God forbid, that happens. But, Nayeon is sure of one thing. Im Nayeon cannot survive this world without her Yoo Jeongyeon”.
Jeongyeon, her selfless Jeongyeon backed off when she noticed the change in Nayeon’s behavior. Nayeon has determination, but she has no plan as to how to confess to her best friend that she loves her more than just the way friends do.
Nayeon is still thinking of a plan, when the inevitable comes towards her. Mina, Sana and Momo are all out of the apartment to get groceries and go on their weekly scheduled dates on Saturdays. And Nayeon is hungry, thinking makes her hungry. She doesn’t expect Jeongyeon sitting on the Kitchen table sipping on Lemonade. So, it surprises her but now she can’t turn back because Jeongyeon has looked up and made eye contact.
Fuck it, Nayeon thinks. She will do this right now. She moves towards her destination but before Nayeon can sit on the table to start the conversation with Jeongyeon, she hears a quiet “I am sorry” coming from Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon looks so small, Nayeon has never seen her like this. Jeongyeon is always sure in her actions, she leads and encourages Nayeon into doing things.
“I am sorry if I did something which hurt you in anyway. I’d like to go back to the way we were, but before we do you have to tell what I did wrong?” Jeongyeon expresses with a small voice.
Nayeon’s heart breaks into pieces. This is not what she intended to do. Nayeon knows she hurt Jeongyeon while she was figuring out her feelings, but now looking at the hurt on Jeongyeon’s face the first hand experience of it all, is all too real for Nayeon.
“No, No. God, Jeong. No, you shouldn’t even apologize. You did nothing wrong. Trust me, its all my fault. I asked you to do this in the first place and when it became all too real for me. I ran, I ran and that was so selfish of me. But I never meant to hurt you baby” Nayeon passionately starts. She doesn’t even catch the slip in her tongue. She is too engrossed in the feelings right now “I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this. I am the one who should be sorry.” Nayeon is now looking at her hands standing a foot away from the table where Jeongyeon is sitting. And understanding the pain Nayeon caused Jeongyeon is bringing tears in her eyes.
“I ran, but while running away from you I realized how much I needed you, and missed you every second of the day. I realized something so important and I was scared of that. These feelings might come between us. And I took a risk. I thought I wanted Yoo Jeongyeon in my life, in whichever way possible. Even if it was as just a friend. Then I realized that I want more. I am in love with you, it took me a wedding and a month to realize that. But I am in love with you, Jeong~” Nayeon completes while taking a deep breath. She said the last bit while looking at Jeongyeon directly in her eyes. The eyes she loved and adored, and she couldn’t see much due to the tears in her eyes but she felt Jeongyeon get up from the chair and close the distance between them.
“Hey, what’re you crying for? I am in love with you too. So much.” Jeongyeon tells her softly, wiping away the tears that fell from Nayeon’s eyes. Jeongyeon kisses her slow and soft, just the amount of gentleness she needs to calm down.
“I wouldn’t trade the moments we shared the month before at the wedding for the world because it got me to you. I figured it out earlier, ironically it happened during the time when the couple was exchanging vows with each other and you looked at me. But I didn’t want to pressurize you, Its okay now baby. I would be willing to get hurt 100 times more, if at the end of it all I could have you in my arms like this.” Jeongyeon declares kissing Nayeon’s forehead. Nayeon smiles her signature smile and it warms Jeongyeon’s heart.
“Even if you wouldn’t have loved me. You know that you’d still be my No.1, right?” Jeongyeon asks Nayeon while softly clutching her jaw in her hands. Nayeon feels the love deep within her bones. “Yes, I know. But now I am your girlfriend. Your girlfriend is your No. 1 now”. Nayeon chuckles after giving a peck to Jeongyeon and she blushes.
“I am honoured to call you my girlfriend Im Nayeon”. Jeongyeon expresses. There is no time for asking or wondering about labels now. It’s time to love. They will be okay, Nayeon thinks as she kisses Jeongyeon soundly.