Rental Love

At that point, it wasn’t about what Momo did that night. It wasn’t about her snapping at Sana anymore. As the days went by, she blamed her feelings more and more and thought that they would soon be the root of other problems. She had to let go of her feelings if she wanted to keep their friendship. She had to stay away from Sana until she could let go of them. She had to move on from her best friend. So in the end, it wasn’t Sana who was avoiding Momo anymore, but the latter who was avoiding the former.

Sana was finally ready to talk to Momo and make up with her. She no longer felt hurt when she saw her best friend and she missed her so much. However, Momo kept avoiding her whenever she tried to approach her. Every time she greeted Momo, the latter would just nod and give a faint smile before rushing off. She asked her two best friends to have lunch together again, but Momo always gave her all sorts of excuses not to join them. Every time she came home, she found either no one in their apartment or Momo was already asleep in her room. Momo didn't give her a chance to talk and she didn't understand why.

"I don't know what's wrong," Sana said as she was having lunch with Mina. "I thought she wanted us to get back on speaking terms, but why is she avoiding me now? Is she upset because I was the one who avoided her first?"

Mina sighed softly as she lowered her gaze. Honestly, she had no idea what Momo was thinking at that time. "I don't know, Sana. I haven't talked to her for a few days either."

Sana's eyes widened. "What? I thought she was still talking to you while I was avoiding her?"

Mina shook her head. “You guys were avoiding me.” She watched Sana’s face fall. Her best friend gave her a guilty look. “But I’m not upset with you two at all. I understand why you did it. So, don't worry, okay?” she continued with a reassuring smile.

"But we still left you alone, Mina. I'm really sorry." Sana reached for Mina's hand that was on the table. She then squeezed it gently.

"It's okay. At least now you're talking to me. We just need to find a way to get Momo to talk to us again." Mina looked up and met Sana's eyes. "Maybe we should find a way to get her to talk to you first. She's been avoiding me because she wants to avoid you."

"Do you have any ideas on how to do that?"

Mina hummed, deep in thought. "Honestly, I can't think of anything other than telling her straight up that you want to talk to her about this problem."

"Alright, I'll text her after this. I can't let this drag on for too long. Jihyo's concert is coming up and I really want to go with her."

Mina gave Sana a soft smile. "I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss it."

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What Mina said was true. Momo would never pass up the chance to go to a concert with Sana. She might not be a fan of any idols, but she loved the experience of going to concerts, especially with Sana. So when Sana said she wanted them to talk before Jihyo’s concert, she knew she couldn’t avoid her any longer. There was no way she could go to a concert with Sana when they weren’t even on speaking terms. She knew she should distance herself from her own best friend until she could move on properly, but she had been looking forward to this concert for a long time. She definitely wouldn't want to miss this opportunity. (Besides, it would be a waste of money if she didn't end up going to the concert.)

Sana:
Let’s talk tonight. I want us to work things out before Jihyo’s concert.

I don’t want to go to her concert without you.

I miss you, momoring  :(

Sana didn't tell Momo specifically what time they should meet and talk. All Momo knew was that Sana was waiting for her at their apartment and if she came home, it would mean she would have to face Sana and talk. She was dreading her meeting with Sana. She couldn't guess what the outcome would be. Would their friendship be saved or would it fall apart even further? She was afraid of the latter. She didn't want to make things worse for them. That was why she stalled for time by going to a bar. She figured she needed some alcohol to be able to talk to Sana without being a coward.

“I can’t give you another drink. You’re already drunk enough,” the bartender said. She could see that Momo was already intoxicated.

“Just give me one more and I’ll leave after that,” Momo pleaded. After all the drinks she had downed, she still couldn’t muster up the courage to go home and face Sana. She thought the alcohol would ease her mind, but it actually took away her ability to think of what to say to Sana. She wasn’t ready to face her best friend. She was afraid that she would just blurted her feelings out instead of talking things out. That was definitely her worst nightmare. So, she stalled for time as much as she could to avoid meeting Sana.

"Sorry, I can't do that. I'll close your tab now," the bartender said before leaving Momo alone for a minute to settle the tab.

Momo slammed her forehead on the bar top before she started to cry faintly. Drink the problems away? That's just some bullshit, she thought to herself. The alcohol only multiplied the sadness she was feeling, not making it any better. If she went home like this, she knew she would only make a fool of herself. Sana couldn't see her in this state. It would just ruin everything she tried to protect.

“Hey, are you okay?” Momo suddenly heard a voice from beside her. The voice sounded very familiar, but the alcohol had messed up her mind so she couldn’t remember who it belonged to.

Momo lifted her head from the bar top and turned her face to the side. She then found someone who had been constantly on Sana’s mind (and hers, somehow) lately. Of all the people on this earth who could come to me, why did it have to be her? She wondered as she scoffed.

"Momo?" She couldn't believe that the girl still remembered her name. She didn't know why she felt a little happy. Shouldn't she be annoyed with her? That girl was the reason why she and Sana weren't on speaking terms. Why couldn't she dislike her even a little?

"Yuri?" Momo chuckled. She then shook her head. "Ah, no. Nayeon?" It was the first time she called that girl by her real name. She honestly liked how the name rolled off her tongue. "What a pure coincidence we met here." She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. A few tears were still visible on her cheeks.

"Are you okay—" Before Nayeon could repeat her own question, the bartender had returned and handed Momo's card back.

"Oh hey, Nayeon," the bartender said once she saw Nayeon. She then noticed that Momo was facing Nayeon. It didn't take much for her to figure out that the two of them were talking before she walked in. "You know her?" she asked Nayeon.

Nayeon nodded. "Yeah, I know her. She's.." She trailed off as she eyed Momo carefully. "..my friend."

"Your friend?" Jeongyeon raised her eyebrows suspiciously. Nayeon just gulped and hoped her best friend wouldn't ask any further. "Okay, that's good then. Can you take her home? I don't think she'll be able to go home on her own in that state."

"No!" Momo exclaimed. "I-I don't want to go home now. I can't!"

Nayeon gave her full attention to Momo. She then gave a confused look. "Why can't you go home?"

Momo didn't answer her. She looked down for a few seconds before she got off the bar stool and tried to walk. She had only taken two steps when she felt her head spinning and she almost lost her balance. Nayeon quickly caught her before she fell.

"You have to go home, Momo," Nayeon said as she held Momo tighter.

"I can't.." Momo replied, barely above a whisper. "Please don't take me home. I can't see Sana in my current state.." She started crying again and it made Nayeon panic.

"So, where are you going now if you don't want to go home?" Nayeon gave her a worried look.

"Anywhere as long as I don't see Sana tonight."

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Nayeon didn’t know if this was a good or bad idea, but she couldn’t think of any other option. She took Momo to her own apartment because Momo kept insisting on not going home. She didn’t understand why and every time she asked, Momo never answered. So, she figured she should stop trying to pry into that matter.

Momo had been asleep since they got in the taxi. So when they arrived at Nayeon's apartment building, Nayeon had to drag Momo all the way to her bedroom. She then put Momo on her own bed, took off her jacket and shoes, and tuck her in. Nayeon thought she shouldn't do this for someone she had only met three times. However, Momo was different. Momo wasn't just someone she had only met three times. She was the best friend of the girl she was seeing. So, she should be special.. right?

"Where are you going?" Momo suddenly caught Nayeon's wrist. Her eyes opened lazily.

"Did I wake you up?" Nayeon asked, but Momo never answered the question. Momo just tugged her wrist gently. "You should go back to sleep." Nayeon tried to remove Momo's hand from her wrist, but Momo just held it tighter.

“I’m sorry, Sana.” Nayeon just fell silent after that. “Please forgive me.. I know I shouldn’t be like this..” Momo started crying again and Nayeon knew that at that point she should interfere with Momo’s speech. She should tell Momo that she mistook her for Sana. However, there was a small part of her that said she shouldn't interrupt this. It told her that Momo might need this. She might need to let out her feelings since she had cried a few times since they met earlier. So, Nayeon opted to stay silent.

"I shouldn't have fallen for you. I shouldn't have caught feelings for you. I should have been the best friend you deserved. B-but.."

Oh, this might be a big mistake. Nayeon should have interfered with Momo's speech earlier. That confession was something she shouldn't have heard, she shouldn't have known. Her heart just dropped to the pit of her stomach after hearing that. She suddenly went blank for a few seconds.

"I can't help it, Sana.. you're just too beautiful, too kind, too sweet. I love everything about you." Momo gave a really endearing smile and the way she looked at Nayeon was really sweet. Nayeon could get lost in her eyes. Her heart fluttered a little bit. "Is it so weird that I love you?" Tears kept rolling down Momo's cheeks.

Nayeon finally sat on the edge of her bed. Her wrist was still held by Momo. She wiped Momo's tears with her free hand as she shushed her gently. "It's not weird," she said sincerely. She would be a hypocrite if she said it was weird. She understood what Momo was feeling. She herself kept falling and falling for Sana every day.

"Then, you won't leave me, right?" Momo gave a pleading look.

Nayeon wasn't Sana, but she was sure that Sana wouldn't leave someone who loved her so deeply like that. "Sana won't leave you. That will never happen," she said as she caressed Momo's hair gently.

Momo smiled and closed her eyes again. She slowly released her grip from Nayeon's wrist. She drifted off to sleep not long after that.

—————————

Momo didn’t know why she even agreed to this. She should have left the place as soon as she realized where she was and what happened last night. But instead, she was sitting in Nayeon’s living room, eating the hangover soup Nayeon made for her and watching the girl play Animal Crossing on her TV. This was a really weird situation to be in. Momo blamed her hangover for all the questionable choices she made that morning.

“Why do you still want to have me around?”  Momo asked as she stirred her soup mindlessly. "Don't you hate me or something?"

Nayeon stopped moving her Animal Crossing character and placed her pro controller on the coffee table. “Why don’t I want to have you around? Why should I hate you?” She tilted her head slightly and gave Momo a confused look.

"I remember everything that happened last night." Momo lowered her head, trying to cover her face with her hair. "I remember everything I said."

Nayeon's mouth instantly formed an 'o' shape. She then turned her gaze back to her character who was standing idly in the game. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hear any of those."

"I know. I was drunk. I just blurted everything out." Momo chuckled bitterly. She then raised her head slightly to look at Nayeon. The latter also happened to turn her face to the side so their eyes met at last.“That’s why I couldn’t meet Sana last night. I was afraid of saying those things to her. I didn’t want to accidentally reveal my feelings to her.”

"Why though?"

"Huh?" Momo didn't understand Nayeon's question.

"Why were you afraid?" It was a question that Momo never thought would come out of Nayeon's mouth. Why was she curious about the reason Momo was afraid? It actually had nothing to do with her.

Momo turned her face away after that. Her gaze fell on the coffee table. "Because our friendship will be ruined if she finds out about my feelings."

"Why do you think so?" Momo didn't understand why Nayeon kept asking 'why' questions. Why was Nayeon so curious about her life? It was strange, but what was even stranger was that Momo kept answering those questions.

"Because I shouldn't have caught feelings for her. These weird feelings shouldn't have existed in the first place."

"Weird?" Nayeon looked at Momo as if she had grown a second head.

"Yeah, weird. That's probably what Sana would say if she knew about my feelings." Momo smiled bitterly. She remembered Sana saying that it would be weird if she liked her own best friend in that way. So, Momo always assumed that Sana would think the same if the opposite happened. That was why she didn't want Sana to find out about her feelings.

“But Sana never said that, right?” Nayeon looked at Momo as if she was trying to convey something. Unfortunately, Momo never noticed the way she looked.

"Of course she never did. She'll never know about my feelings."

"Then, you'll never be sure whether your feelings are weird or not in her eyes." At that point, Momo didn't understand where this was going.

"I'm sorry, but what are we talking about right now?" Momo turned her gaze back to Nayeon. She raised her eyebrows slightly and gave her a confused look.

“About your feelings that you think are weird. Honestly, I don’t understand why you think that way.” At that moment, Momo thought that Nayeon was a weird person. Why did she care so much about Momo’s feelings? It had nothing to do with her. It was none of her business. “I know you think your feelings are wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with—”

"Why do you care so much about my feelings? I'm not going to get between you and Sana. I'm actually trying to get over my feelings. You don't have to worry about anything—"

"I'm not worried about anything. It has nothing to do with my relationship with Sana. It's just.." Nayeon trailed off as she looked away. "Last night when I saw you confess, I thought it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Sana is lucky to have someone who loves her that much. I even envy her a little." She chuckled as she brought her gaze back to Momo. The latter just stared at her without blinking.

"That's why I don't understand why you think your feelings are weird. What's wrong with them? I think they're beautiful. Do you really believe that Sana would think they're weird? Do you really think your best friend would leave you just because you have feelings for her?" Nayeon tilted her head slightly as she offered a genuine smile. "Please have some faith in Sana. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met."

Nayeon was the strangest person Momo had ever met, but she managed to bring her comfort in just a short time. For days, Momo felt like her feelings were a burden that weighed her down. But after hearing Nayeon's words, her feelings suddenly became lighter and she could walk upright again. She suddenly gained the confidence to face Sana again.

"You're really weird, you know?" Momo chuckled as she shook her head slightly. "I have feelings for the girl you're seeing. Why don't you hate me? Aren't you afraid that I'll steal Sana from you?"

"I won't hate you for that. Sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with. Besides, we can have a fair competition." Nayeon suddenly held out her hand to Momo. The latter just stared at the hand in confusion. "To win Sana's heart."

"Oh." Momo snorted as she slowly put Nayeon's hand down. "You already won, though. She's already head over heels for you."

"But we haven't made it official yet. You still have a chance. Are you really giving up that easily?"

Momo gave a soft smile. "Even though I haven't confessed my feelings to her, Sana has already said that she never liked me in that way. So, I'm not going to do anything."

"Ah, you're no fun." Nayeon crossed her arms against her chest and pouted. "You gave up too easily."

"Isn't that good for you? It means no one is standing in your way."

"But I like a little competition. It makes things more interesting."

"You're weird." Momo chuckled. There was a growing fondness in her eyes whenever her gaze fell on Nayeon. She could see herself becoming Nayeon's friend in the future.

"I know. That's actually my charm." Nayeon uncrossed her arms and smiled. She then picked up the pro controller that she had left on the coffee table earlier and went back to playing her game.

They changed the subject to the game Nayeon was playing. It turned out that Momo also played the game. That was why she watched Nayeon play with such interest. Nayeon ended up giving her own Friend Code to Momo so the latter could add her as a friend on Switch and play the game together someday. That unexpectedly became the beginning of their friendship.

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Many apologies were said and tears were shed when Momo finally came home. Momo apologized for saying and doing hurtful things while Sana apologized for making Momo feel neglected. They both promised to be better and not to make the same mistakes again. At the end of their reconciliation, the two of them sealed their promise with a warm comforting hug.

“Don’t make me worry about you again, okay?” Sana said as she pulled away. “I couldn’t even sleep last night because you didn’t come home and wouldn’t tell me where you were.” She cupped Momo’s cheeks and brushed them gently with her thumbs. “I thought something bad had happened to you.”

"I was really stupid last night. I made a lot of stupid decisions." Momo gripped Sana's waist as she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.

"At least you didn't end up at some random guy or girl's house when you were drunk." Sana giggled as she lifted Momo's chin, making them lock eyes in the process.

"But I ended up at your girl's house! You have no idea how embarrassed I was when I saw her face this morning." Momo didn't want to keep her encounter with Nayeon a secret. She already felt guilty enough about hiding the fact that she had hired Nayeon as her girlfriend before. So when Sana asked where she was last night, she immediately told her what happened (minus her confession).

"It's okay. I was actually happy to hear that you met her last night, not some random person." Sana removed her hands from Momo's face. She then took Momo's hands that were on her waist and intertwined their fingers. "You wouldn't have gotten a free bowl of soup if you had met someone else." She giggled.

"She's really nice. I'm glad you found her." Momo gave a genuine smile.

"I know, right?" Sana tightened her grip while smiling. "Now that you've met her twice.." Momo mentally corrected Sana, but it actually didn't matter that much. "Can I bring her here tomorrow to help us make freebies? You can definitely say no because I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You will always be my first priority."

Momo loved the way Sana reassured her that she would always be special. She chuckled as she tugged Sana's hands playfully. "You're already asking her to join your fangirling activities?" she asked teasingly.

“She’s actually a fan too!” Sana retorted defensively. “She’s also going to Jihyo’s concert. That’s why I think it will be a good idea to have her make freebies with us.”

"Oh wow, I didn't expect her to be into K-Pop just like you." Momo shook her head slightly while giggling. "You two would make a great couple."

"I'm glad to hear those words from you." Sana smiled from ear to ear. "So, what's your answer? Do you mind if she's here tomorrow?"

Momo shook her head as she gave a soft smile. "Not at all. Many hands make light work."

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This had been their tradition since Sana started fangirling. Every time they went to a concert, they would make freebies which they would hand out to fellow fans at the venue. Usually, it was just the two of them making freebies. Sometimes Mina helped them and sometimes she had other things to do. This time, Mina couldn't help them because she was working on her project, but someone new came to join in their long-standing tradition.

That day, Sana officially introduced Nayeon to Momo. At first, Momo felt weird seeing them together in person. All this time, she had only heard their stories from Sana and imagined them in her head. She obviously got these nagging feelings when she saw the two of them so close to each other. Her chest tightened when she saw Sana leaning over Nayeon to whisper something. For a moment, she felt like she shouldn’t be there. She should have left them alone. She shouldn’t have ruined their moment by being there. However, Nayeon suddenly started talking to her like they were old friends and it made her feel included. Nayeon managed to make her feel like they actually wanted her there.

"So, you guys do this often?" asked Nayeon who was sitting on Momo's right. Both of her hands were busy threading beads to make some bracelets. This time, the freebies they would give out were bracelets with letter beads. Each bracelet would have one of Jihyo's song titles written on it. The idea came from Sana.

"It's not 'often' anymore. We always do this every time we go to a concert," replied Sana who was sitting on Momo's left. Both of her hands were also busy threading beads.

"We? So, you always go with her to concerts, Momo?" Nayeon took a glance at Momo before returning her focus to the beads.

Momo nodded without looking away. She was busy putting the bracelets and some candies into small plastic bags. "Yeah, I'm basically her concert buddy."

That was how their conversation went while they were making freebies. Nayeon would ask a question and one of them would answer. After that, Nayeon would give a follow-up question to the one who didn't answer. So in the end, none of them felt left out. Momo even forgot that she was sitting between two people who would soon become a couple. She didn't feel awkward at all.

"Hey." Nayeon suddenly called Momo. At that time, they were alone in the living room. Sana was in the toilet, doing her business.

Momo turned her face to Nayeon. After that, she felt something hanging on her wrist. She whipped her head towards it and unexpectedly found a bracelet. Nayeon slowly pulled her hand away and her fingers brushed Momo's skin in the process. Somehow, it gave Momo a tingling sensation.

"For you," Nayeon said with a smile. "Your initials are on it."

Momo turned her wrist and found the letters 'MM' on the bracelet. She smiled unconsciously. Her heart suddenly beat a little faster. "Shouldn't you make this for Sana?" She turned her gaze to Nayeon.

"Oh, I made one for her too." Nayeon took one bracelet from the coffee table and showed the letters 'SN' on it. "And one for myself." She took another bracelet and showed the letters 'NY' on it.

Oh, Momo suddenly felt stupid. There was no way Nayeon wouldn't make one for the girl she was seeing. Momo chuckled as she lowered her head in shame. "You shouldn't have made anything for me."

“I don’t have to, but I want to.” Nayeon smiled sweetly and Momo caught that sight in her limited vision. Somehow Momo's heart beat even faster. “Wear this to the concert, okay?”

After that conversation, Sana went back to the living room and Nayeon gave Sana the bracelet she made. They finished making the freebies in an hour and Nayeon suggested they play a game before she went home. They ended up playing Animal Crossing. Nayeon and Momo visited each other’s islands while Sana watched them play excitedly. 

When Nayeon finally went home, Momo came to the conclusion that she was the weirdest person she had ever met. She was weird, but in a good way. She had strangely managed to make Momo feel comfortable around her in such a short time. Momo had never felt this way before with Sana’s exes. She had never felt comfortable with them and had never even wanted to spend time with them. However, Nayeon was different. Somehow Momo had no problem spending time with her and even looked forward to hanging out with her again.

Nayeon was weird, but Momo was probably even weirder for feeling this way.