Chapter 1
"no, mina, really. how long do you plan to keep doing this?"
they stop in front of the seniors tall lockers then surveys the area. it's a good thing, really, that they got dismiss earlier than everyone or the halls would have been now flooded with students.
"i don't know. until i have the courage to talk to her, i guess."
"you keep saying that but you have been talking to her since we were kids."
"as your best friend, yes."
"and what's wrong with that?"
"i didn't say there is."
"so why not ask her out, then?"
"it's not that easy, jih. i mean, she is nayeon."
mina sighs. she takes a final glance around the empty halls to be sure that the coast is clear.
"what? loud, annoying, narcissist - "
"hey, no! why would you say that?"
"because as your best friend, it's my job to point out her flaws?"
"yeah but you're also doing a terrible job as her own sister."
mina pause before punching in the code and jihyo just shrug her shoulders carelessly.
"she doesn't need some selling, does she?"
mina has nothing to say to that. with nayeon being smart, talented, kind, sc vice - president, cheer captain, a senior. she sure doesn't need anyone to put in good words for her. she's already loved by everyone. and not to mention her good looks.
honestly, who can blame mina if she's down bad for the girl.
"right."
she says and pulls the locker door open while jihyo stands as her guard.
yep. myoui mina is a total creep, alright.
it wasn't the first time they've done it. not even the second or third time, but mina can't help the breath of relief that escapes her whenever she's met with no resistance every time she swings the locker door open. sometimes she'd expect it to remain shut. locked. maybe nayeon got fed up of finding things or letters inside and decided to change her combination. but so far, it hasn't happened yet.
"are you done? we have to go."
and just as jihyo says that, the bell above them signals the end of classes.
"minaaaa!"
she ignores her best friend's voice but it's rather amusing how jihyo is trying so hard to keep her voice low when she's naturally loud. lisa swears her whispers are probably louder than mina's yells. If she even yell.
"mina-yah, come onnnn!"
"just a minute, jih."
"yeah, no! one more minute and everyone will be here. oh, and we'll be late for practice too. come on!"
“i know, i know. lemme just-”
she scans inside her gym bag until she found the sweater she knitted herself and neatly placed it inside the locker for the owner to find.
it's not her first gift and definitely not going to be the last.
it started with just a note. a simple you got it, capt. fighting! whenever her squad has a performance or when they have to compete. a you're doing great, vice! when she hears from her best friend how her sc duties paired with exams are stressing her.
but that was until jihyo caught her slipping a piece of paper inside the senior's locker a few months ago. her best friend didn't ask what she was doing, instead, she simply said "i know her combination, if you want it."
since then, she's been buying if not making things of nayeon's interest and dropping it inside her locker instead of giving it herself because according to jihyo, she's a coward who needs to grow a pair.
so now here they are.
she breathes. a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth before closing the locker.
when she turns, jihyo is now shifting her weight from one foot to another restlessly.
mina shoots her a guilty smile.
“all good?”
“yep. let’s go.”
jihyo nods, adjusting the weight of her own bag on her shoulder before they started walking.
practice has always been hard. that's one thing that hasn't change since she and jihyo got in their school's soccer team. what with their coach always wanting the best from his athletes; always pushing, rarely praising even when they've already brought in two consecutive championships. but with their captain graduating this year - seulgi is determined to add another one in their school's trophy case before she leaves - practice has only gotten worse.
it's no wonder when their coach finally calls it a day and everyone collapse on the ground - trying to catch their breaths - the said captain still looks ready to go for another round.
"i seriously can't feel my legs anymore." jeongyeon groans. "i think they're dead."
"lucky legs. i'm about ready to die myself." jisoo breaths.
"right, unnie? i missed those times when practice is simply just practice and not hell."
"and when was that, dubu?"
jihyo ask, joining in the conversation.
"a lifetime ago. in chaeyoungie's backyard."
the younger athlete answers which earns a chuckle from the older ones.
"we should've said yes when tzuyu offered to teach us shoot arrows, chaeng." then glancing at their captain who stands a few feet away from them, she whispers, "joohyun - unnie doesn't look like a strict captain."
the the shorter girl snorts at her best friend.
"yeah? with our hand - eye coordination, i doubt we'd make it past the try - outs without sending an arrow straight to someone's head."
then sitting up, she adds, "and looks can be deceiving. have you seen seulgi - unnie? doesn't she look like someone who couldn't hurt a fly even when her life depends on it, yet here we are."
mina heard hear teammates laughing but her attention was directed to lisa who's lying beside her when she calls for jihyo's.
"hey, jih?"
"yeah?"
"why's your sister wearing a sweater?"
when she sits and turns to where the thai is looking, she's met with nayeon heading in their direction and indeed wearing a sweater - the very one she placed inside the girl's locker earlier. she's talking to jennie with park chaeyoung on her side, sana and momo also walking with them. and she gets why lisa is puzzled. the weather isn't even cold and the sun is practically harsh; she can still feel its heat on her skin even when its about to set already.
but if the way her face burns, and the warmth spreading from her inside and how rapid her heart is beating in her chest are because of the sun and the adrenaline from their practice or it's because nayeon is proudly wearing her gift no matter the hot weather, she's not so sure.
"meh." jihyo shrugs. like she's seen worse from her sister. "she's just weird like that."
then she turns to mina, fixing her a look that's way too hard to ignore.
"oh. well, i gotta go. see you guys tomorrow." lisa says, getting up. their other teammates throwing their own goodbyes as well and starts leaving one after the other until it's just her and jihyo.
"what?" she asks earning a shake of head and a knowing smile from her best friend.
"what is it?"
"nothingggg."
"jihyo!"
"yup, that's my name alright."
"oh my god!"
when nayeon reach them, her four companion are no longer with her.
"what did miss president want, unnie?" jihyo ask her sister.
"jennie's just reminding me of the council meeting tomorrow."
then she glance at mina, "hey, how's practice?"
but the japanese isn't sure if the question is for her to answer so she looks at her best friend instead.
good thing jihyo is quick to catch it.
"tiring. as always."
there's a beat of silence after jihyo's answer and mina isn't sure if she did see the senior's face fell at her lack of response or she's simply imagining it.
"right." nayeon finally says. "are you ready to head home then?"
"definitely. i feel gross with all these sweat already, i need to shower."
"okay." she nods then turns to the japanese again as jihyo starts walking ahead. "do you need a ride, minari?"
mina feels her heart jump at the nickname but it falls down to her stomach just as quickly when the question dawns on her.
"-uh. not really, no. i'm good-"
"oh."
"yeah. thanks, though."
"right. see you around."
"see you around, unnie."
when jihyo calls for them to hurry up and nayeon walks faster to catch up with her younger sister, mina's sure her heart has fallen much lower than her stomach. to the ground, maybe, with how much it aches.
of course nayeon doesn't know she drives.
when mina is finally on her bed that night, her phone lights up with a message from jihyo.
you know… those money you've been spending to buy all those gifts you left on my sister's locker could've been spent on your dates with her.
then after a minute, another text came in.
just ask her out. see where things go.
she turns her phone off, not bothering with a reply.
it doesn't matter. jihyo's going to bring it up again the next day anyway.
she closes her eyes instead and thinks of all the times she'd drive jihyo home whenever their practice ended later than usual and the korean doesn't like having her sister wait for her on the bleachers.
sometimes, she even stayed at their place for dinner.
and yet, nayeon offered her a ride home. she doesn't know mina has her own car. that pretty much speaks how much she knows about the japanese.
she breathes.
it sucks.
then, deep down, a tiny, hopeful part of her whispers.
she called you minari. the nickname she gave you years ago. that's something.
and mina falls asleep with a small smile on her lips.