Chapter 4
Evening settles into Mina's apartment like a familiar friend, watching her from across her living room floor where she's spread out the pieces of her newest Lego project. The Lamborghini set sprawls around her in organized chaos, instruction manual propped against a cushion. It's the kind of ordinary moment she's learned to cherish—just her, surrounded by tiny pieces of potential, waiting to become something whole.
Her phone buzzes with another group message. Sana sending a string of encouraging emojis, Jihyo reminding them to be careful (but with a heart emoji that takes the edge off), Dahyun dramatically declaring she's prepared her reaction video setup. Jeongyeon and Momo with a video of them somewhere in Bukcheon that makes Mina think if there’s something there, too, and they’re not just as obvious as her and Nayeon. The notifications pile up, a digital chorus of support, but Mina's eyes keep drifting to the one name that hasn't appeared.
Chaeyoung's silence feels heavier now, weighted with possibilities Mina isn't ready to consider. Even when she sounded so normal during their photoshoot, Mina knows Chaeyoung more than any other members and she knows how great the younger woman is at holding fronts.
"Stop checking your phone and help me figure out what to wear," Nayeon calls from the bedroom, and Mina can't help but smile at the slight whine in her voice. Some things never change, future visions or not.
"Wear whatever you want," Mina calls back, sorting through black Lego pieces with practiced precision. "You look good in anything, everything, nothing."
"That's not helpful!" There's a sound of hangers being moved, drawers opening and closing. "This is important. We're making history tonight."
The words catch in Mina's chest, because yes, they are making history—their own kind of history, written in Instagram comments and fan theories and carefully chosen moments of openness. But now she knows there might be other histories waiting to be written, other futures spinning out from choices not yet made.
Stay present, she reminds herself, focusing on the piece in her hand. This moment is real. This happiness is real. Whatever the future holds, she owes it to herself—to both of them—to live fully in this now.
"What about this?" Nayeon emerges from the bedroom in what can only generously be called nightwear—a silk slip that definitely wasn't meant for public viewing, even through a phone camera.
"You're trying to break the internet before we even start the live," Mina observes, but she can't help the way her eyes linger, the way her breath catches slightly.
Nayeon grins, clearly pleased with the reaction. "Maybe that's the point."
Their phones buzz simultaneously—Jeongyeon in the group chat: Don't do anything I wouldn't do followed immediately by Sana: That doesn't narrow it down much 😉
"Should we start?" Nayeon asks, already reaching for Mina's phone. "I'll set it up while you work on your car. The fans love watching you build things."
Mina nods, letting herself sink into the familiar routine of Lego assembly. It's meditative, this process of creation. Each piece has its place, its purpose. Unlike time, unlike hearts, unlike futures that shift like sand under her feet.
"Is the lighting good?" Nayeon fusses with the phone setup, adjusting its position against a stack of books. "You look perfect, by the way. The focused engineer look really works for you."
The compliment comes so naturally, so Nayeon-like, that Mina feels her earlier anxiety start to fade. Because this is them—casual affection wrapped in playful teasing, love expressed in a thousand tiny ways.
"Ready?" Nayeon asks, finger hovering over the 'go live' button.
Mina looks at her—and this time, she takes all the time she has to really look at her. Takes in the excited sparkle in her eyes, the slight nervous energy in her movements, the love written so clearly across her features that Mina wonders how they ever thought they were being subtle.
Time slips have taught her many things, but maybe the most important lesson is this: the present is a gift, and some moments deserve to be lived fully, regardless of what tomorrow might bring.
"Ready," she says, and means it.
The notification goes out, and viewers start flooding in immediately. Mina keeps her focus on the Lego pieces, letting Nayeon handle the initial greetings. But she's acutely aware of Nayeon moving in the background, probably deliberately showing off that silk slip that's definitely going to trend on Twitter within minutes.
Their phones light up with individual messages from the members—Tzuyu sending a simple thumbs up, Momo demanding they save the live so she can watch it later, Jihyo reminding them one last time to be careful. Still nothing from Chaeyoung.
But that's okay, Mina decides, fitting another piece into place. Because right now, in this moment, she's building something. Both with these Lego pieces and with Nayeon, with their fans, with this brave new step they're taking together.
The future—all possible futures—can wait. Right now, she has a car to build, a girlfriend to tease, and about three hundred thousand people waiting to see what happens next.
And maybe, at least for now, that's enough.
The viewer count climbs past 100,000 as Mina settles cross-legged on her floor, Lego pieces arranged in meticulous piles around her. She's wearing what appears to be a simple oversized t-shirt, but eagle-eyed fans immediately recognize it—the vintage Rolling Stones shirt Nayeon wore in her birthday VLive last year.
THATS NAYEONS SHIRT
she's not even trying to hide it anymore
THE DOMESTIC ENERGY IS OVERWHELMING
mina in nayeon's clothes this is not a drill
they really said one live wasn’t enuffff
"Hi everyone," Mina says, trying to focus on the instruction manual rather than the rapid-fire comments. "I thought you might want to join me while I work on this new project."
She adjusts the camera slightly, making sure the display cases behind her are visible. Each one houses a completed Lego masterpiece—the Titanic, Notre-Dame, various architectural wonders she's assembled over the years.
"That's the Star Wars millennium falcon behind me," she points, responding to several questions in the comments. "It took about three weeks. And yes, Nayeonnie helped with that one, though her idea of helping was mainly providing snacks and moral support."
NAYEONNIE
the way she just casually mentions them building together
domestic engineering girlfriends
I'M TAKING NOTES FOR THE WEDDING
why do I never meet anyone who I can build things with???
Mina begins sorting the first set of pieces for the Lamborghini, explaining her organization system to the viewers. It's easy to lose herself in this, in the methodical process of creation. The comments continue to flood in, but she's found her rhythm now, alternating between building and answering questions.
"Favorite build so far?" she reads. "Probably the Hogwarts castle. That was during our break between tours last year, and—"
She cuts off as familiar hands appear from behind her, setting a cup of tea beside her workspace. But it's not the tea that makes the comment section explode—it's what happens next.
Nayeon, in that silk slip that's definitely going to trend worldwide, bends down and presses a soft, deliberate kiss to the top of Mina's head. It's quick, casual, the kind of affectionate gesture that speaks of comfortable intimacy rather than planned fanservice.
The internet, predictably, loses its collective mind.
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN
SOMEONE TELL ME THEY RECORDED THAT
hello missmam?
the confidence??? the domesticity???
BREAKING NEWS: 300K ONCES FOUND DEAD
this is basically a wedding announcement
I want someone to kiss me like that
shit y m I cryin?
Mina feels her cheeks warm, but she can't help her smile. Because this is Nayeon—always knowing exactly how to make an entrance, how to steal the show while somehow making Mina feel like the center of attention.
"…you're distracting my viewers," the feed cuts to what Mina says, but there's no real complaint in her voice, and the fans speculate that there was a term of endearment that began that sentence.
DID SHE CALL NAYEON BABE?
y is there no replay button?
I’m literally dead rn
PLEASE KISS ALREADY
"They don't seem to mind," Nayeon replies, settling on the couch behind Mina. The camera angle catches her perfectly, showing just enough of that silk slip to be suggestive without being inappropriate.
the way mina doesn't even look surprised
MAMA THIS IS THEIR NORMAL
minayeon nation we're being fed today
someone check if jyp is breathing
he is, he’s even preaching no for sum reason
NAYEON BABY COVER YOURSELF UP IM DYING HERE
nayeon, please we need to breathe
"Should we tell them about the time you tried to help with the Death Star?" Mina asks, carefully connecting two pieces of the Lamborghini's frame.
"Absolutely not," Nayeon declares. "That story dies with us."
"She put half the pieces on backwards," Mina stage-whispers to the camera. "We had to take it apart and start over."
"I was providing creative interpretation!"
they're literally an old married couple
the bickering i can't handle it
relationship goals tbh
WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT
what chapter are we seeing now?
The live continues like this—Mina focused on her build while Nayeon provides commentary from the couch, their natural chemistry making everything feel both casual and intimate. They share stories about other Lego projects, about late-night building sessions when neither could sleep, about the time Nayeon accidentally vacuum-cleaned up crucial pieces of the Tower Bridge.
"In my defense," Nayeon says, now braiding small sections of Mina's hair as she works, "they looked like regular dust from that angle."
"You still owe me dinner for that," Mina reminds her, tilting her head slightly to give Nayeon better access to her hair without even seeming to think about it.
THE HAIR BRAIDING
this is the most domestic thing i've ever witnessed
they’re doing it again
the forgetting theyre live thing
they forgot we're here again
writing this into my minayeon au
stream back 2 u
A notification pops up on Mina's phone—Sana sending a series of keysmash messages to their group chat, followed by Jihyo's well there goes any plausible deniability.
But what catches Mina's eye is the message that follows, from the one person who's been silent all evening:
Chaeyoung: you both look happy ♥️
Something in Mina's chest tightens, future possibilities threatening to crowd in. But then Nayeon's fingers brush her neck as she starts another braid, and the present reasserts itself with gentle insistence.
"Everyone's asking if this is a regular occurrence," Nayeon says, reading comments. "Us building Lego sets together."
"Only when she promises not to 'creatively interpret' the instructions," Mina replies, but she reaches back to squeeze Nayeon's ankle affectionately.
THE CASUAL TOUCHING
mina that’s not a lego piece
is it bad that I want them to make out?
I’m so gay rn
this is better than any kdrama
taking notes on how to flirt with my future wife
MINAYEON SUPREMACY
MINAYEON SAILING
my michaeng heart is dying
The viewer count has stabilized around 350,000, but the comments are coming so fast they're almost impossible to read. Fans are creating real-time compilations of their interactions, analyzing every touch, every shared look, every casual demonstration of intimacy.
"Oh, this is a good question," Nayeon says. "'What's your favorite thing about building together?'"
Mina pauses, piece hovering above its destination. Because the answer that comes to mind isn't about Lego at all—it's about quiet evenings like this, about the comfort of Nayeon's presence, about building something together that's bigger than plastic bricks and instruction manuals.
"The company," she says finally, and the simplicity of the answer seems to hit harder than any elaborate explanation could have.
the WAY she said that
crying in gay panic
SOMEONE WRITE THIS ROMANCE
this is better than any confession scene
this is better than my actual love life
and I don’t even know if this is real
bitch this is real
r u not watching?
this is typical minayeon energy tbh
Nayeon's hands still in her hair for just a moment, and Mina knows without looking that she's fighting back tears. Because that's their story, isn't it? Building something together, piece by piece, day by day, in front of the world but somehow still just for them.
The future might hold wedding dresses and beach waves and rings catching sunlight in Paris cafés. But right now, in this moment, Mina is exactly where she wants to be—surrounded by Lego pieces, wearing Nayeon's shirt, feeling gentle fingers in her hair while hundreds of thousands of people watch them simply exist together.
And maybe that's the real lesson time travel has taught her: that some moments are worth living fully, even if—especially if—there is a very clear possibility of them lasting forever.
"Your turn," she says, reaching back to tap Nayeon's knee. "What's your favorite thing about our building sessions?"
Nayeon doesn't hesitate. "Getting to watch you in your element.” She looks at the camera and how most of the comments are covering what Mina is doing, then adds, “You get this look when you're focused—like nothing else exists except what you're creating. It's beautiful."
The comments explode again, but Mina barely notices. Because Nayeon's voice carried that particular tone she gets when she's being completely honest, when she's forgotten about their audience and is just speaking her truth.
THIS IS THE MOST ROMANTIC THING I'VE EVER SEENthey're literally just existing and i'm cryingsomeone check on minayeon nationFILING THIS AS EVIDENCE
Their phones buzz simultaneously—the group chat again. This time it's Dahyun: this live is going in the wedding video compilation just saying
Mina should probably feel anxious about that, given what she knows about possible futures. But instead, she finds herself smiling. Because whatever happens tomorrow or next year or in some Paris café that might never exist, this moment is real.
This love is real.
The rest? Well, that's what time is for.
Night settles around them like a comfortable blanket, the live stream becoming less of a performance and more of a window into their shared world. Four hours in, and the audience has watched Mina complete nearly half the Lamborghini, punctuated by Nayeon's running commentary and increasingly unguarded displays of affection.
"I'm getting hungry," Nayeon announces, stretching like a cat on the couch. "Should I order the usual?"
Mina hums in agreement, focused on a particularly tricky section of the engine. "From that place near Han River?"
"The one where we had our first—" Nayeon catches herself, but the damage is done.
FIRST WHAT
FIRST DATE???
SOMEONE INVESTIGATE THIS RESTAURANT
the way they both froze omg
lol mina’s meme face is back
this is entertainment gold for the girliessssssss
"I'll go pick it up," Nayeon says quickly, already reaching for her coat. "Don't finish the engine without me."
The moment Nayeon leaves, Mina finds herself alone with 350,000 eager spectators. The comments flood in faster now, as if the audience senses an opportunity for insider information.
"Should I tell you a secret?" Mina asks the camera, unable to help herself. Maybe it's the late hour, or maybe it's the lingering effects of their manager's blessing, but something makes her brave. "It’s about this restaurant."
YES PLEASE
SPILL THE TEA MINA
we're all ears
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
where’s dispatch when u need them?
just like last live, THEY’RE NOWHERE
I just peed a little
"So, we were eating out with the members, right," Mina begins, feeling oddly liberated. "And I don’t know how it happened, but, Sana was there and suddenly, we were playing around. Nayeon-unnie hugs me from behind—she really likes doing that, by the way—and when I turned to face her…" she pauses, puffing out a lungful of breath out her mouth, cheeks visibly reddening, “we kind of kissed, and Sana was laughing. Like, she was losing it… but we kept on it…”
She pauses, a smile tugging at her lips. "And I was kissing back—I don’t know why I’m saying these things to you, guys. It’s just… it got me thinking about how we’ve all known each other for a long time, but none of you know how Nayeon has been there for me through everything. I guess, what I’m saying is that the kiss felt… right. Not perfect… or, I don’t know. I haven’t kissed anyone beside—oh, my God; this is crazy."
Mina lets out a tense but very audibly freeing laughter. The comment section absolutely explodes.
HELLO??? HELLO???
DID SHE JUST CONFIRM THE KISS
MINAYEON NATION WE WON
this is the greatest day of my life
SOMEONE WRITE THIS DOWN
I literally came
girl u blushing like an idiot
YOU CAN’T TAKE THIS BACK NOW
yo if this is fanservice, they’re going the extra mile
nahhhh man, that’s love
When Nayeon returns, arms full of takeout bags, she immediately notices the chaos in the comments. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Mina says innocently, but she can't hide her smile. "Just sharing some memories of a couple weekends ago."
"What kind of—" Nayeon starts scrolling through comments, her eyes widening. "Myoui Mina, did you tell them about the restaurant?"
"Maybe."
Nayeon's expression shifts from surprise to something else entirely—something that makes Mina's heart race despite the hundreds of thousands of people watching. Because this is Nayeon when she's about to be either brilliant or reckless, usually both.
She moves to the kitchen area, visible in the background of the shot, and begins laying out their food. The sound of a wine bottle being opened makes the audience cheer, understanding the romantic implications immediately.
"You want a glass, babe?" Nayeon calls out, and the casual endearment sends the comments into another frenzy.
BABE???
she really just dropped that so casually
this is the most confident gay panic ever
TAKING NOTES ON HOW TO FLIRT
SANA HAS TO BE UPPING HER GAME
my michaeng heart cannot
MY SANAYEON HEART IS IN PIECES PLEASE
2yeon has left the building
Mina nods, and Nayeon crosses to her with the grace of someone who knows exactly what effect they're having. Her hand comes up to stroke Mina's cheek, fingertips lingering just a moment too long to be casual.
The food appears beside the Lego workspace, arranged with unusual care. "Thank you," Mina says softly, and something in her voice makes the audience hold their collective breath.
"I love you," Nayeon says behind the camer, and it's technically a whisper but somehow carries perfectly to the microphone. It's deliberate but not performative, like she's saying it because she means it, not because people are watching.
Mina looks up at her, really looks at her, and for a moment forgets about the live stream, about future visions, about everything except this woman who's chosen to be brave with her.
"I love you too."
When Nayeon leans down, it feels inevitable. The kiss is both too quick and too long—a simple press of lips that manages to convey years of history, months of careful hiding, and a future full of possibilities. Nayeon's hands tangle in Mina's hair, messing up the braids she'd spent hours creating, but neither of them cares.
The comment section becomes unintelligible, a flood of capslock and keysmash and crying emojis. Their phones probably explode with notifications, their members likely losing their minds in the group chat. Tomorrow, this will be all over every social media platform, analyzed and gif'd and celebrated by fans worldwide.
But right now, in this moment, they're just Mina and Nayeon, sharing takeout and wine and kisses while building a Lego car. The fact that they're doing it in front of an audience somehow makes it more real rather than less—like they're finally allowing their love to exist in all spaces, not just private ones.
"You're trending worldwide," Nayeon says later, scrolling through her phone with her free hand, the other still playing with Mina's hair. "We both are. Separately and together."
"Mm," Mina responds, more interested in the way Nayeon's fingers feel against her scalp than in their social media impact. "What are they saying?"
"That we're either the best fanservice ever or the most obvious couple in K-pop history. No in-between." Nayeon grins. "Should we tell them which one it is?"
Mina thinks about their manager's blessing, about futures that may or may not come to pass, about the weight of being honest versus the weight of hiding. “You literally leaned over to kiss me, babe. I think they already get it."
Their phones buzz simultaneously—the group chat exploding with reactions. But one message stands out:
Chaeyoung: That was beautiful
And somehow, despite everything she knows or thinks she knows about the future, Mina believes her. Because maybe that's what love is—being beautiful in whatever form it takes, in whatever timeline it exists.
The live continues, but something has shifted. They're no longer performing, no longer careful. They're just existing, together, letting the world see what they've known for years:
That some loves are worth being brave for, no matter what the future holds.
Fame has always felt like wearing someone else's clothes to Mina—familiar enough to function in, but never quite fitting right. But this new attention is different. It follows them like perfume now, sweet and heady: "K-pop's Power Couple," "Bravest Idols of Their Generation," "TWICE's Revolutionary Romance."
The morning after their live, their names dominate every trending list worldwide. Fan accounts piece together every moment of their four-hour broadcast like archaeologists uncovering ancient treasure. The wine glass moment. The casual "babe." The kiss that wasn't quite a kiss but was somehow more than a kiss.
Dispatch photographers who used to hide now openly follow them, capturing what they think are candid moments—Nayeon carrying coffee to Mina's car, their hands linked as they exit practice, shared umbrellas on rainy days. It should feel invasive, but somehow it just feels like finally being able to exhale after holding their breath for years.
"They're calling us revolutionary," Nayeon says one morning, scrolling through articles while Mina gets ready for a Boucheron meeting. "As if we invented being in love."
"Didn't we?" Mina teases, and enjoys the way Nayeon's reflection blushes in her vanity mirror.
The Boucheron event marks their first official red carpet as an acknowledged couple. Mina steps out of the car into a storm of camera flashes, wearing diamonds that catch light like stars. But it's not the jewelry that makes headlines—it's Nayeon, deliberately visible in the background, watching her with such obvious pride and affection that it makes even hardened entertainment reporters sigh romantically.
That's when it happens. The world shifts sideways, and suddenly she's not on the red carpet anymore.
She's in her apartment, but it's different—there are moving boxes stacked in corners, gaps on shelves where pictures used to be. Future-Mina is making tea when the knock comes, sharp and urgent like messenger carrying bad news.
Chaeyoung stands in the doorway, face streaked with tears, but her expression is set with determination. She looks older somehow, not in years but in experience, like someone who's been carrying a weight for so long they've forgotten how to stand straight without it.
"I have to tell you something," she says, walking past future-Mina into the apartment. "Before you—before everything changes."
"Chaeyoung-ah—"
"Please, unnie," Chaeyoung interrupts, voice cracking. "Please just let me say this. I've been practicing it for so long. And if I don’t say it now, I might not have the chance to—God, that’s so cliché."
Future-Mina nods, setting down her tea with hands that barely tremble.
"I love you," Chaeyoung says simply, like stating a fact about weather or time. "I've loved you for so long I don't remember how not to. And I know—I know you're marrying Nayeon-unnie. I know you're happy. I know this changes nothing."
The words hit like physical blows. Wait, Mina wants to say. That's not right. I saw the rings, saw us in Paris, saw—
"I'll be there," Chaeyoung continues, wiping tears with angry determination. "At the wedding. I'll smile and celebrate and mean it, because your happiness matters more than anything; matters more than my feelings. But I needed you to know. Before you marry her, I needed you to know that someone else loves you too. That someone else would have—" she breaks off, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter what I would have done. You chose her. I know you'll always choose her."
Future-Mina stands frozen, teacup forgotten on the counter, watching as one of her best friends shatters in front of her.
"I support you both—no, I love you both," Chaeyoung says, backing toward the door. "I'll always love and support you. But I needed to say it once. Just once. Before it becomes impossible to say at all. Before saying it becomes a thorn in our friendship. Unnie, it’s… I’m okay having you as a friend than nothing at all."
"Chaeyoung, wait—"
“You don’t have to say anything, Mina-unnie,” Chaeyoung pleads, reaching out to hold Mina’s trembling hands and as she does, Mina can feel Chaeyoung’s falter and she can no longer look Mina in the eye. She turns away to flee the scene and then she's gone, the door closing behind her with a quiet finality that somehow hurts more than a slam would have.
Reality snaps back like a rubber band, and Mina finds herself back on the red carpet, photographers calling her name, Nayeon's proud gaze warm on her back.
"You okay?" Nayeon asks later, helping her remove jewelry in the privacy of their hotel room. "You seemed somewhere else for a moment out there."
"Just overwhelmed," Mina says, and it's not exactly a lie. Her mind spins with this new information, trying to reconcile it with what she thought she knew.
Because she'd been so sure—the rings in Paris, the wedding by the beach, the devastating text message. She'd constructed an entire future around assumptions that now seem paper-thin.
Her phone buzzes with a message from Chaeyoung: You looked amazing tonight. Both of you did. Fighting, unnie!
Mina stares at the words, trying to find hidden meaning in them. But they're just words, just Chaeyoung being Chaeyoung—supportive and genuine and carrying a weight Mina never noticed before.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Nayeon asks, coming up behind her to rest her chin on Mina's shoulder.
Mina looks at their reflection in the hotel mirror—Nayeon's arms around her waist, both of them still dressed up but somehow more themselves now that the cameras are gone. She thinks about future-Chaeyoung's words: You chose her. You'll always choose her.
"Just thinking about how lucky I am," Mina says, turning to kiss Nayeon properly, trying to pour everything she feels into the contact.
Because in its own twisted way, this is what these time slips have been trying to tell her all along—not warnings about what will happen, but reminders to appreciate what's happening now. To recognize the weight of choices made and unmade, of hearts that love silently and hearts that dare to speak.
Later, as Nayeon sleeps beside her, Mina opens her photo gallery and finds a picture from their trainee days—her, Nayeon, and Chaeyoung squeezed together on a practice room couch, all bright smiles and uncertain futures. She studies Chaeyoung's expression in the photo, wondering if the signs were always there, if she just didn't know how to read them.
Her phone buzzes with another message from Chaeyoung: Sleep well ✨
Simple words that somehow carry the weight of futures that might have been, of confessions yet to come, of hearts learning to love from different distances.
Mina sends back a heart emoji and tries not to think about how it might mean something different to each of them.
Group dynamics are strange things—like intricate dances where everyone knows the steps until suddenly they don't. Mina finds herself hyperaware of Chaeyoung now, catching moments she might have missed before: the way Chaeyoung's laugh sometimes cuts off too quickly when Nayeon kisses Mina's cheek during practice, how she throws herself into art projects with an intensity that feels like escape.
"Are we okay?" Chaeyoung asks one day, catching Mina after a particularly long rehearsal. She's painting her nails black, the smell of polish sharp in the practice room air. "You've been looking at me differently lately. I don’t know if I should be scared or…"
Mina watches her carefully apply another coat, thinking about a future version of this woman who will stand in her apartment and bare her heart. "Have I? I don’t know."
"Yeah. Like you're waiting for something." Chaeyoung doesn't look up from her nails, but there's tension in her shoulders that wasn't there before. "Or like you know something I don't."
"Just tired," Mina says, the excuse falling easily from her lips. Because how can she explain that she's watching Chaeyoung's heart break in slow motion, years before it actually happens? “Do you? Know something I don’t?”
“I think you know I’d tell you if there was something, unnie.” Yes. Because in the future iterations of themselves, despite the pain in Chaeyoung’s heart, she braves to tell Mina she loves her.
Life moves forward anyway, as it tends to do. They release another album, breaking their own records because that's what TWICE does. Their relationship becomes old news in the best way—still celebrated but no longer sensationalized. Just Mina and Nayeon, living their love story in public view.
The world tour announcement comes with the usual excitement. Six months of stages and cities, smaller now, more intimate, with the fans who’ve stuck with them for twelve years, of hotel rooms and room service, of performing their hearts out night after night. They've done this before, will probably do it again, but something feels different this time.
Maybe it's the way fans now openly celebrate their relationship, holding up banners with both their names surrounded by hearts. Maybe it's how they don't have to pretend the hotel room arrangements are random anymore. Maybe it's just that everything feels more real when you're not hiding it.
The end-of-tour celebration dinner feels like coming home. They're all there—nine women who grew up together, who've shared more life than most people share with their biological families. Jihyo orders too much food, Sana steals from everyone's plates, Jeongyeon and Nayeon bicker over the last piece of meat like they're still trainees.
Mina should have known something was coming. Nayeon's been oddly quiet all evening, playing with her phone more than usual. But she's distracted by Chaeyoung showing her newest tattoo design to Tzuyu, by Dahyun's dramatic retelling of their latest concert mishap, by the comfortable chaos that is their group dynamic.
So when Nayeon stands up, clearing her throat in that way she does before important announcements, Mina just assumes it's another silly speech about friendship and forever.
"I had this whole thing planned," Nayeon starts, and something in her voice makes everyone go quiet. "Was going to do it somewhere romantic, maybe during sunset on a beach somewhere. But looking around this table, seeing all of us together... this feels right. This feels like home… and I’d love to share this moment with you, girls, because I love you with all of my heart."
She turns to Mina, and suddenly everything shifts into sharp focus. The way the restaurant lights catch in Nayeon's eyes, the slight tremor in her hands as she reaches for something in her pocket, the absolute silence that falls over their usually boisterous group.
"Myoui Mina," Nayeon says, and her voice carries all the love stories ever written, "will you—"
The world tilts sideways before she can finish the question.
Grecian sun warms Mina's skin as reality resolves around her. She's on a beach, white dress catching waves that lap gently at the hem. The scene is familiar—she's been here before in other slips, but something's different.
Sana's arms wrap around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder in that comfortable way she has. "I don't—" she starts, but this time, Mina cuts her off.
"I know," she says, understanding flooding through her like sunlight. "We're going to be fine."
"Babe!" A familiar voice calls from behind them. "Is everything okay?"
Mina turns to see Nayeon—her Nayeon—, radiant in a matching white dress, concern etched across her features. Everything clicks into place—all those future glimpses suddenly making sense like puzzle pieces finally finding their homes.
"Chaeyoung's not coming," Mina says softly, and feels Sana's arms tighten around her.
Nayeon crosses the sand to them, bare feet leaving temporary impressions in the tide-wet shore. Her embrace includes both Mina and Sana, natural as breathing. "She told me,” Nayeon says, fingers intertwining with Mina’s. “Let her take her time."
Reality shifts again, bringing Mina back to the restaurant where Nayeon still stands before her, ring box open to reveal a simple but elegant band that catches the light like promises.
"—marry me?" Nayeon finishes, and Mina realizes she never actually heard the first part of the question.
But she doesn't need to. Because she's seen this future—not the proposal itself, but where it leads. To a beach in Greece, to matching white dresses, to love that's strong enough to weather absence and presence alike.
"Yes," she says, and the word carries the weight of all timelines, all possibilities, all choices made and unmade.
The restaurant erupts in celebration. Their members converge on them like a tidal wave of joy—Jihyo already crying, Sana bouncing with excitement, Momo demanding to see the ring up close.
But Mina's eyes find Chaeyoung, who hangs back slightly from the group. Their gazes meet across the chaos, and Mina sees it now—the love that's already there, growing quietly like a flower in shade, waiting for its moment to bloom into words.
Chaeyoung smiles, genuine despite everything, and mouths what looks like "congratulations." Because that's who she is, who she'll always be—someone who loves deeply enough to celebrate others' happiness even when it costs her own.
Later, when they're all piled into cars heading home, Nayeon plays with the ring on Mina's finger, making it catch the passing streetlights. "You went somewhere for a moment there," she observes. "During the proposal. Another slip?"
"Yeah," Mina admits, because they don't keep secrets anymore. "But a good one. A right one."
"Tell me?"
Mina thinks about white dresses and ocean waves, about Sana's comfort and Nayeon's understanding, about a future where love takes different shapes but never diminishes.
"Soon," she promises, turning to kiss Nayeon softly. "But right now, I just want to be here. With you. In this moment."
Her phone buzzes with a message from Chaeyoung: The ring suits you. I’m so happy for you, unnie.
Simple words that somehow carry the weight of everything Chaeyoung will one day say, everything she already feels, everything that makes their story complex and beautiful and real.
Mina sends back a heart emoji, thinking about how symbols can mean different things to different hearts, and how sometimes that's exactly as it should be.