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Mina patted all the pockets in her uniform, making sure she had everything that she needed in them. Her phone was in her front jacket pocket for the time being, her passport was in the other one. She locked her front door as she made a mental checklist, making sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. This wouldn’t be a long trip, but it’s always a hassle to buy something she already has a number of, like the time she bought her 10th spare charger, just because she forgot hers at home. Again.
Regardless, right now she didn’t have much time to think about what she packed or didn’t. She checked plenty of times already and if she actually did end up forgetting something, it would be fine, the most important things she is sure that she got. Mina needed to make her way to the airport, if there is one thing she is, is pontual, so she needs to get going.
Mina was one of the first of the crew to arrive at the airport, something she was used to. Besides Sana she wasn’t really close to the crew that was flying with them today, though to be fair, except for Sana she is not really close with anyone at all. She knew that the pilot and the co-pilot of today were known for getting there almost late, so she was prepared for the hassle that it would cause the staff of the airport. Nothing she should get herself involved with.
Ever since she got this job, she has been extremely dedicated to it. Mina always wanted to be a flight attendant, and she worked hard for it, she would never do anything to jeopardize her job. Not only that, but she was very reliant on it. She worked tirelessly to make her ends meet, flying as much as she can and as much as they will allow her to.
Truth is, while she does make good money being a flight attendant, Mina’s past isn’t exactly an example of good financial decisions, something that haunts her until this day. Now she has to quite literally pay the price for the financial choices she made as a young adult trying to navigate through life and independence. Not that Mina blames herself for it, she tries to be nice to herself, even when she works more than she should to make up for it.
Honestly, Mina had to mature a lot because of her debt. She had to make better choices, find some way to get out of it. It’s not something she likes at all and she works overtime to make sure she can get rid of it as soon as possible. She is overworked and she still struggles to repay her loans. Still, her situation could be a lot worse, and with the salary she has, she is able to live well and still pay off her debts, so she can’t complain.
Besides, she really does love her job. Even with all the pressure, the crazy hours, the people she has to deal with, it all pays off. Mina loves travelling, she always has, this job provides that for her, and she doesn’t even have to spend money for it. She gets to meet new places, new countries, new people. Traveling offers her some sort of escape from everything, it keeps her mind busy, she truly can’t deny how much she loves her job.
It was a couple of hours later when boarding started. Mina was already inside the aircraft, like it was required. Honestly, boarding is her least favorite part about all of this. People trying to switch seats or just sitting somewhere they’re not supposed to, all the baggage in the luggage rack, helping people with whatever it is that they need. That is also the time where the people are the least nice to her, therefore making this not very enjoyable.
Thankfully it didn’t take too long to board and soon enough they were on air, their destination this time around was Seoul. A place Mina has been to many times, and it’s still one of her favorites. She always thinks to herself whenever she’s going there again, if it was for her to move offshore she would definitely choose Seoul. At this point, it almost feels like her second home.
Mina pressed her fingers against the cool, stainless steel of the food cart, pushing it through the aisle, handing the passengers food and drinks. Her mind thrived with the familiar routine of the in-flight service, the same words repeated over and over again. The sound of the engines and the gentle shake of the aircraft were comforting in a way she couldn't explain.
She looked down, checking again if her uniform was impeccable, the navy-blue jacket hugging her frame, the matching pants, her hair completely pulled back, tight in a bun. To the outside world, Mina was the picture of professionalism, of perfection, everything about her screamed confidence. The way she moved, her smile. She was nice, and she was good at what she did.
Mina glanced out the window as soon as she was finished with the last row. The view never failed to amaze her, no matter how many times she was on air, how many flights she has taken in her life, the view will always be one of the best parts about her job. After that they had some time to settle and rest for a bit.
Sana was sitting at the other end of the plane, which didn’t leave much room for them to talk. She could see her best friend staring at her from the other end, but right now she really wanted to enjoy her peace. It was a good change from the past couple of days, truly the only time where she felt like her brain is not having a million thoughts per second and she doesn’t feel like she’s about to lose it.
Normally Mina would be a lot happier, she is usually a very happy person. It’s just hard to keep up her good mood after the week she just had. It’s Mina’s first time working with a broken heart, so forgive her if she’s not very good at it. She’ll maintain her appearances, of course, she’s nothing but professional. But she can’t deny the turmoil inside her at this moment.
It’s not easy to get out of such a long relationship, and Mina doesn’t expect to get over it so soon. After two years of officially dating her girlfriend, planning a future with her, not to mention the time that they knew each other before that, Mina was more than sure that she would spend the rest of her life with her. She was counting on it, planning it.
So her world came crashing down when on their anniversary her now ex girlfriend decided that she was done, that it was time for them to break up. Mina didn’t get a heads up, though she doesn’t know how much they would help her really. It was a shock, and she didn’t get much explanation besides her claiming that they didn’t work well together and that she couldn’t lie to herself anymore.
Mina didn’t really understand what she meant by that, and getting any more explanations from her was impossible. She broke up with her over the phone, thirty minutes before their scheduled dinner for their anniversary. After that, none of Mina’s calls went through, and she had blocked her everywhere. Two years of relationship done just like that.
She wasn’t even the one that came to pick up her things at Mina’s apartment, her brother just knocked on Mina’s door one day and took everything with him. Mina asked, of course, if he knew anything, how she was, if there was anything she could do. He claimed he didn’t know much either, though Mina is fairly sure he was lying, she knew how close they were.
He took everything in just a couple of hours, and then the apartment felt more empty than when she first moved there. She was still shocked, trying to process everything. Breaking up never even crossed Mina’s mind and she thought that they were happy. That just made her realize that you never know what’s going on in other people’s heads.
Mina was devastated. She truly felt like the last two years of her life were a lie, they knew each other for even longer than that, and her ex girlfriend left her like the relationship meant nothing to her, like she didn’t even owe her an explanation. She tried seeing her side, truly, but it was hard, even more so when everything was fine for her, things were going well.
She didn’t even remember how it was to live a life without her, she was there for the bad moments, the good moments. Everything Mina shared with her, they talked about anything. It truly came as a surprise, and Mina used to love surprises before this one. Now she has nothing to hold onto, all the good memories washed away by a bad one. A single phone call.
Mina would probably be in shambles if she had any more time to process it. Truth is, with a scheduled flight so soon to her breakup, just a couple of days away, she didn’t really give her time to mourn her relationship. Her job always came first, and when she was scheduled for a flight, there was nothing that would make her cancel it, not even her heart getting broken.
She had no choice but to go to work, put on a smile on her face, and pretend like she didn’t wreck her brain for the past two days trying to figure out what she did wrong or what was that her ex thought wasn’t working in the relationship. Mina feels like the worst part is that she didn’t even get to try making it work, she just got an ultimatum and didn’t get any say on it.
At least being in a plane provided her the peace of mind that she was in desperate need of. Something else to focus on, to think about. For the most part it was working as well, at least for the duration of this flight she didn’t have to think about everything that happened, she didn’t have to be sad over it.
From where she was she could see Sana staring at her. She knew that if it was up to her best friend she would find a way to come over and talk to her, though she could tell that she was hesitant as well, because she could talk to her right now and it wouldn’t be an issue. It would be just a couple of minutes, better than nothing.
Truth be told, she has been avoiding talking to Sana for the past couple of days. Not because of her, it just wasn’t easy to talk to anyone right now. Everyone would just ask how she was and the only answer she had was that she didn’t know. She didn’t know how to feel, she didn’t know how she felt. And that sounded like a bad answer to give people, so she would just rather not talk to them.
Sana never really liked her ex either. Being the two most important people in her life, Mina did her best to bring them together, whenever Sana would come over to her house she would try to get them to talk, or whenever they went out Mina would try making the three of them meet. She just doesn’t have a whole lot of friends and it was important for her that the two of them actually spent some time together.
And as much as Sana tried, she never liked her ex girlfriend. Everytime Mina would hope for a different outcome, but that never happened. She would fake smiles, pretend like she could tolerate her, and each time Mina could see it in her face that she hated her guts, even if Sana didn’t tell her, she didn’t have to, Mina could see right through her fake smiles and fake pleasantries.
She didn’t blame her best friend, truly. Honestly she had met more people who didn’t like her ex girlfriend rather than people who liked her, maybe Mina should have seen this as a red flag, but love is blind and Mina just thought people didn’t understand her. She doesn’t regret the relationship, at all. If anything, it taught her a lot and there’s some things she would make sure to do differently now, she definitely feels more experienced.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Sana heading towards her. Since this was an overnight flight, the lights of the cabin were off, providing more comfort to the passengers, who for the most part were fast asleep even if this was just a 2 hour flight. That left them room to interact, it was only a couple of minutes, but something is something.
When they arrived at the airport they didn’t have much time to do so, not like they usually do anyway. One of the pilots struck a conversation with Sana, which wasn’t out of the ordinary at all, and Mina just watched in silence, finding it amusing how people would hit on Sana no matter where they were. Still, she could see then that her best friend wasn’t very happy about it.
Sana quietly approached her, a smile on her face, pretending like she was helping her organize the things back there. Mina could see by her face she had been waiting to speak to her. “Tell me everything.” She looked behind them, making sure no one was listening to their conversation.
Mina laughed as quietly as possible. “Tell you what?” She wanted to know if Sana was asking about anything specifically. While she didn’t talk much to anyone for the past couple of days, Sana was the person she talked to the most, and she knew everything Mina had to say.
Sana rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Pretending to be annoyed at her, but Mina could see the smile on the corner of her mouth. “How have you been? How are you feeling? Has she tried contacting you at all?” She stared at her. “Tell me what’s been going on, I’ve been dying to know.” She whined.
Mina took a deep breath, she knew the answers to those questions wouldn’t please her best friend. Still, she was willing to answer them for the sake of her own peace of mind, she knew Sana would not give up on asking until she answered those. “I’ve been…” She paused, trying to find an appropriate word. “Getting by, I guess. Haven’t had much time to process it if I’m being honest. And no.” Mina scoffed. “She barely even called me to break up with me, we haven’t talked since and besides her brother picking up her things I haven’t had any sort of contact with her at all since then.” She tried busing her hands, moving random things in front of her.
Sana was visibly annoyed now, the expression she always makes whenever they talk about her ex or whenever she saw her. “I can’t believe her. I always knew she was a terrible person but to do this? That’s on a whole other level. You deserve so much better Mina, I know you love her but god just thinking about her face and the way she treated you already pisses me off. I said multiple times, she walked all over you, she treated you like you were nothing.”
She had warned Mina about this behavior before. She didn’t really think the same until they broke up, only then did Mina look back and realize that maybe her best friend was right, maybe she did deserve better. Those were things that didn’t really bother her when they were together, so she doesn’t feel like she has any room to complain about it. She should’ve paid more attention to her red flags.
Sana waved her off after she didn’t say anything. “Either way, I’m helping you move on from her.” Mina knew then nothing good was coming from this conversation. It was obvious that Sana had been plotting and preparing for this, waiting to bring it up. “There’s this woman in first class that is exactly your type. I think you should make a move.” She smiled, like she didn’t just say the craziest thing.
It took Mina by surprise. She barely even processed her break up, she doesn’t think it’s time for her to even think about being with someone else. The thought didn’t even cross her mind. “Are you crazy?” She laughed, thinking she might be joking. “Absolutely not. Not only because I just got out of a relationship and it’s too soon, but also because it’s a passenger Sana, it would be completely unprofessional.” It didn’t sound like something she would do at all, ever.
Sana smiled, Mina recognized that smile from when she had an idea that is absolutely crazy and she is not willing to let go of it. She knew when she wanted to do something or wanted something to get done, she wouldn’t stop it until she got it. “Listen.” Sana leaned a little closer. “It doesn’t have to be anything serious, it can be just a fling.” Mina stared at her like she was going crazy. “The woman is beautiful, Mina.” She insisted. “Just go take one look at her and come back here, you’ll understand.”
“I’m not going to-” She was interrupted by Sana putting her hand on her lower back and gently pushing her toward the aisle, encouraging her to head to first class and take a look at the woman she was talking about. “I don’t even know who it is and what seat she’s in, I’m not going.” She looked back at her friend, on the verge of scolding her.
Sana let out a small laugh, finding it amusing the face that Mina was making. “Pretend you’re getting something from the storage in the front, she’s in first class, third row I’m pretty sure.” Mina scoffed, complaining. Sana rolled her eyes at her. “You’ll know when you see her, at least take a look, that’s not going to hurt anyone.”
She didn’t say anything back to her, she just started walking towards first class. Honestly, Mina went just for the sake of Sana not insisting on it anymore. She would go, look at the woman, go back to her best friend, tell her she’s not interested and that would be it. No harm to anyone involved.
Mina is used to seeing attractive people on flights, it’s something completely normal. The most empty flight she has ever worked at carried 100 passengers still, one of them is bound to be attractive. It wasn’t something out of the ordinary, and it wasn’t something Mina paid a lot of mind to either. She would usually just note it to herself, and that was it.
Still, nothing could have prepared her for it. Perhaps it was because Mina truly wasn’t expecting to see someone so breathtaking, to the point where she felt like Sana understated her. Or maybe because she has never seen anyone with a beauty to this level. Regardless, the minute Mina laid eyes on her she knew this was the woman Sana was talking about.
It took everything inside Mina to not stare at her. She looked out of this world, truly Mina has never seen anyone this beautiful. And she sees hundreds of people every single day, she doesn’t think anyone has caught her attention like this. She doesn’t think she was immediately so attracted to someone like she is to this stranger. Not even with her ex girlfriend.
She couldn’t deny that it brought a little panic to her. Mina even felt a little sad that this was essentially a stranger, and that after this flight the odds of seeing her again were practically none. Unless she actually did something about it like Sana intended her to. Mina glanced at her a couple more times before making her way back to her best friend. Still in complete awe.
Sana had a smile on her face that screamed ‘I told you so’. She knew her friend was about to be extremely annoying about it, and for some reason she didn’t even care. That woman completely lightened up her mood. “See!” Sana poked her arm. “I told you, she’s just your type.” She pointed towards Mina’s mouth. “You’re even drooling a little.” She teased her.
Mina rolled her eyes. “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll give you that. She is beautiful.” She paused, scratching the back of her neck. “Probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” She sighed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything about it. She’s beautiful, yes. She’s still a passenger and I’m still a flight attendant. Not only that, I broke up a two year relationship just a couple of days ago. I would never make a move on anyone so soon.”
Sana scoffed. “You need to live a little, Mina!” She looked around the airplane. “It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you made a move towards someone right now. Even if it didn’t lead anywhere. She’s pretty, you think she’s hot, that’s it. It doesn’t have to be anything more than a fling you know.”
Mina knew she wasn’t looking for anything serious regardless. It was too soon, and in her opinion, too soon for her to even think about doing anything with someone else. She sighed, maybe Sana is right, maybe she does need to live a little. It still feels extremely unprofessional to hit on a passenger. “I don’t know Sana. Are we even allowed to hit on a passenger? It kind of goes against my morals.” She paused. “I think.” She did take into consideration that if things did work out, that woman was absolutely beautiful.
“You don’t even have to talk to her.” Sana continued trying to convince her. “You just leave a note. Something simple, if it works out it does, if it doesn't then that’s fine too.” She shrugged. “You’ll know that at least you tried, you know. These are opportunities you can’t let pass. What if she’s the love of your life?” She smiled.
Mina scoffed at her words, she laughed, knowing that Sana was just saying anything to try and convince her. “A note?” She rolled her eyes. “Are we in sixth grade? What would it even say? Hey, you’re very pretty. I would like to make out sometime, oh by the way I broke up with my ex girlfriend like two days ago.” Sana shrugged at her words, like anything would be good enough to put on that note. “You don’t even know if she likes women.” She pointed it out.
Sana laughed a little louder this time. “Have you seen her?!” She shook her head. “I’m not one to assume someone’s sexuality, but with her I’m not even assuming, I’m fully sure.” Mina rolled her eyes. “Plus, It doesn’t have to be something silly. You can write a very straightforward note that will get to the point quickly without much room to interpret. Plus, like I said. If it works, good, if it doesn’t…” She shrugged
Mina stood still, actually considering it. It sounded insane and like something she would never do. But then again, two days ago she was in a stable relationship, in which she thought she would be in for the rest of her life. So maybe, just maybe, Sana is right this time around, and maybe she should put herself out there.
While she was thinking, Sana grabbed a napkin, took a pen out of her pocket and started writing on it. She didn’t even notice what she was doing until she was handing her the thing. “Here, now you go and you hand it to her. She came in alone so you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself.” She didn’t say anything else, she just went back to her post at the front of the plane.
Mina didn’t have a whole lot of time to think. The place would start descending soon, and they would need to get ready to land. She looked at the paper in her hand, taking a second to read it.
“Hello (: I think you’re really beautiful. If you would like to grab some drinks with me tonight, it would be lovely. Meet me at the rooftop of this hotel if you’re up for it! I’ll be waiting there at 7 pm.” And under Sana put the address to the hotel she was staying at. She stared at it. The way Sana put everything did make the note seem harmless enough.
At this point Mina was actually grateful she could get a discount in one of the fanciest hotels in the city, she had stayed there before and the rooftop bar was actually amazing. If she was getting stood up by the most beautiful woman in the world, at least the view would still be nice enough. She realized then that she actually wasn’t as against giving the woman the note as she thought she would be.
Mina stared at Sana from the other side of the plane. Her best friend was smiling, encouraging her to go through with this. The more she thought about it the more insane it seemed. She has never done anything so bold like this, and she never saw herself like the type to do anything like this. She took a deep breath, she didn’t want to miss her chance with such a pretty woman just because she didn’t have the courage to deliver a note.
The rest she could leave it up to destiny. Maybe the woman would find it weird, she could be taken or simply find it too weird to go, Mina is a stranger to her after all. But at least she would have tried, right? Sometimes she needs to make the first move and at least try. This could be the best decision she has ever made in her life.
Completely determined to actually do it, Mina approached the woman. They hadn’t talked at all during the flight, Sana was the one to hand the snacks to her. If Sana didn’t go directly to her to talk about her, she probably wouldn’t have seen her at all either. So she did her best to not startle her, first impressions were important and Mina was determined to make this a good one.
She slowly approached her, giving her enough time to realize Mina was coming. The moment they made eye contact Mina almost chickened out, her beauty was intimidating. Still, she pushed through, opening the best smile she could and leaning down closer to the woman. “Hello, there.” The woman smiled back at her, a good sign.
Mina took the note out of her pocket and moved it closer towards her. The woman frowned, confused, but opened her hand anyway. “I didn’t ask for a napkin.” She pointed it out. Her tone was light, and her voice almost made Mina giggle. She took it from Mina anyway, maintaining eye contact.
“You don’t have to answer.” Mina placed her hands behind her back, trying to busy herself with anything. “But I would really like it if you took it into consideration.” She was cryptic enough so that things weren’t awkward. The woman frowned, looking down to the note. That was Mina’s queue to leave. She didn’t want to stay there long enough to be rejected, she would rather find out later.
For the rest of the flight Mina avoided even looking at her direction. She realized that she probably should’ve at least asked for her name, though it broke a little of the mystery behind her, and Mina was actually liking that part. She avoided making eye contact with Sana as well, overall just trying to keep her mind off of what just happened, not wanting to overthink it.
She was thankful when the pilot announced that they would be landing soon, that would definitely get her mind off of everything. One of the most important parts of the job was right now, making sure everyone had their seat belt on, making sure the chairs were standing straight and the trays were put away.
Since Sana was the one in charge of first class, Mina wouldn’t get to see her again at all. If she didn’t go to the rooftop tonight, that first interaction between them would also be the last. It did make Mina slightly sad, hopefully she would forget about her in no time if that was the case. When the plane landed, Mina watched through the sea of people, trying to get one last glimpse of her. Unfortunately that didn’t happen.
She expected Sana to tease her the moment they got off of the plane, and that was exactly what happened. It was all friendly, but for the most part Mina just wanted to head to the hotel, settle for a bit before going up to that rooftop and waiting for the mysterious woman. So after a lot of stalling from Sana she was finally on her way there.
Ideally Mina wanted to rest for a bit. Her sleep schedule was messed up from the overnight flight and she was planning on taking a nap when she arrived at the hotel. That was before all of that happened though, now, Mina is so excited about it she can’t even think about sleeping. Instead, she went out to grab something to eat, before eventually heading back to the hotel to get ready.
Mina wasn’t usually the type of person to take a long time getting ready. She was very objective and even with a full face of makeup, it usually took her 40 minutes at most to finish completely getting ready. This time around she has been staring at her open suitcase for 30 minutes already.
She felt like nothing was appropriate for the occasion. She would qualify this as a date and she didn’t exactly bring anything that looked too fitting for a date. Besides her uniform Mina only brought regular clothes and a dress, which she was planning on wearing to dinner today. Truthfully since she was only staying there for a couple of days, she didn’t pack much.
After debating for a long time she decided the dress was the only way to go. She didn’t want to wear jeans, and her uniform was definitely not an option. While the dress was very elegant, it was simple, long, black, it hugged her body perfectly. She only realized it was actually a very good option after she put it on.
Mina didn’t know why her expectations were so high. Odds are that she’s not even going to show up, the chances are incredibly slim and she knows that most people wouldn’t actually go, her included. She didn’t want to be let down was the biggest thing, and while she knew how unlikely it was for the woman to show up, she really hoped that she did.
25 minutes to 7 pm and Mina was ready. She wanted to go up already, a little ahead of time but her plan was to order herself a drink to settle her nerves. Besides, the hotel room was starting to feel a little too small and she could use some fresh air, so the best decision was to go up already, even if it was slightly early.
The place was busier than what Mina expected. She figured it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it made this whole meeting a lot more casual. She sat by the bar, ordering a mojito and immediately opening a tab, if the woman showed up drinks would definitely be on her. She stared at her phone nervously, watching the minutes pass. She was only able to feel a little more calm once her drink was placed on the balcony in front of her.
Mina didn’t get a chance to take the first sip of her drink before she felt a hand on her lower back. “You know, you never told me your name.” She froze, she didn’t dare to look back, scared that it was maybe her imagination, or that it was someone else entirely. With the same voice as her.
She couldn’t help but smile though, that was one hell of a way to say hello. “Mina.” She finally mustered the courage to look at her. “You never told me yours either.” Mina was again in awe when she saw her. Somehow, she looked even more beautiful right now. She wore a dress as well, her face looked even more pretty under the dimmed lights.
Mina watched as she smiled, pointing towards her drink. “What are you having?” She wondered. “Can I try?” Mina immediately nodded, even if she didn’t get a taste yet. Honestly, she was so taken back still. Besides, she was enough distraction already. “Nayeon.” She paused. “My name is Nayeon.”
“Nice to meet you, Nayeon.” Mina was nervous, she can’t remember the last time she had been in this situation. Now that Nayeon is there, she doesn’t want to ruin this, she has an opportunity and she can’t fuck it up. “Can I get you anything?” She wondered, already calling the bartender. “It’s on me.”
Nayeon ended up ordering the same drink as her. She was a little hesitant about letting Mina pay for everything, but she insisted, saying that she was the one that invited her and she already had her tab opened. Though she likes to think that what actually convinced her was when Mina reassured her that next time it was on her.
“You know.” Mina smiled, this time around a little more shy. “I didn’t think you would actually show up.” She realized what she said only after she had already said it. “I mean, I am incredibly glad that you did. I was hoping that you did.” She fixed it before Nayeon could misunderstand. “It’s very nice that you came.” She settled for just that.
Nayeon smirked. “Of course I did.” She took a sip of her drink. “You will never catch me saying no to such an appealing invite.” She used her hand to play with her straw. “So have you been a flight attendant for long?” She wondered. It took a second for Mina to assimilate what she was saying, she was a lot more focused on her hand and her mouth.
They ended up talking for a couple of hours. Mina doesn’t think she has ever been this attracted to someone. Everything Nayeon said or did made her almost drool, she felt a pull at the bottom of her stomach that she didn’t even feel around her ex girlfriend. She has no idea what Nayeon is doing to her, but she loves it.
Mina tried keeping her attraction as casual as she was able to. Whenever she caught herself staring she would look away, whenever she realized she was leaning too much into her touches she would pull back a little. And every time Nayeon realized she would do it more, almost teasing her.
If she would catch Mina staring at her lips she would lick them, smirking. She would touch Mina’s arms, her legs, she was laughing, batting her eyelashes at her. Nayeon was very amused by the way Mina acted around her, and she was having fun flirting with her. Mina would never complain about that.
They actually got along better than expected. Not that Mina thought about it too much, but she just figured that the chances of them actually being compatible weren’t that big. She was wrong, and very wrong. Nayeon was funny, she asked about Mina, she seemed genuinely interested in everything she had to say. While their conversation remained mostly light, almost superficial. It was still a lot of fun. And Sana had advised her to stay away from the subject that she just got out of a relationship.
“What hotel are you staying at?” Mina wondered after Nayeon mentioned that it didn’t take too long for her to get there. Nayeon smirked at the question, but Mina was genuinely just curious about it, she didn’t really mean it as an invitation. Though she was dreading the time Nayeon was going to leave.
“I have an apartment here, actually.” She played with Mina’s fingers. By now she was used to her touches, craving it whenever Nayeon would move her hand to grab her glass. “It’s not too far. Why do you ask?” She licked her lips, looking at her from the corner of her eyes.
Mina cleaned her throat. “Oh!” She tried not to get distracted by her, right now she was a little confused, since Nayeon had just told her she lived in Japan. “I thought you lived in Japan, that’s why I assumed you were staying at a hotel. You said you were here for business.”
“I just come here very often.” She explained to Mina. “Since my job requires me to travel between Japan and here a lot, I just ended up buying an apartment here as well. It didn’t exactly save me money, but it does bring me more comfort.” Mina was a little taken back. She could barely afford her apartment, imagine two. Though that was her own fault. Still, Nayeon clearly has money.
Mina was about to ask her what she did for a living when Nayeon interrupted her thoughts. “I have never stayed in this hotel, though.” She took a sip of her drink. “If you’d like to show me the room, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” She smiled. It didn’t take a big brain to figure out what Nayeon was saying, and if the opportunity is being handed to Mina on a silver platter, she’s not going to be the one saying no.
She kept her words and paid for the drinks, of course. She didn’t want to rush anything, honestly she was a little nervous as she made her way down to her room with Nayeon. Mina wasn’t really looking for anything to escalate, her breakup was still recent and although Nayeon asked about going to her room, she didn’t want to assume anything. She tried taking it step by step, but she couldn’t deny that her heart was beating all the way up her throat.
At this moment Mina was also glad she got a room upgrade earlier today when she checked in. While the company provided her a place to sleep, they would usually get a low end room, which was still nice at a hotel like this. But when Mina arrived they offered her an upgrade for a low cost, so she decided to take it, she figured she earned it. Now that Nayeon is standing beside her as she opens the door to her room, she is even more glad that she took it.
Nayeon walked in front of her, looking at the room as Mina closed the door behind her. Mina was going to show her the view from her window, but when she turned around she was surprised by Nayeon pushing her back to the door. She didn’t say anything, she just smirked and closed the gap between them.
Mina was completely taken back by it, she didn’t expect Nayeon to be so upfront, she thought that they would maybe talk first or something along those lines. It took her a second to actually process what was happening and kiss her back. She placed her hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in even closer.
Nayeon’s lips were soft and even though at first she was a little aggressive, the kiss turned a little softer. Mina was the one to take the next step, trying to show her that even though it took her a bit to react, she wanted this just as badly. She licked her bottom lip, asking for permission. She immediately responded by opening her mouth a little, their tongues now dancing inside their mouths.
Her grip on Mina’s waist was strong, she tried pulling her even closer even if she couldn’t. She bit her bottom lip, wasting no time before going in again. Mina felt dizzy, she put her hand on her lower back while the other remained in place, her fingers scratching the nape of her neck.
As the kiss started to heat up Mina stopped thinking about anything else but Nayeon. She just wanted to feel her, all over. She switched their positions around, her body trapping her on the wall. She moved her kisses down to her chin, her neck, the valley of her breasts. Mina doesn’t think she ever moved on so fast with someone and she was certainly not opposed to the first time this has happened to be with Nayeon.
Nayeon pulled her back up in a heated kiss. She started pulling Mina’s dress up to take it off when they were interrupted by her phone ringing. Mina was pulled out of her haze, she paused, looking at Nayeon. “I don’t think it’s anything important.” She shook her head. “Certainly not more important than this.” She leaned in again.
If Nayeon was going to ignore her phone she wasn’t the one that was going to push her to answer it. Mina kissed her back just as eagerly, she played with her bottom lip, licked the inside of her mouth, her hands pressing hard on her hips while Nayeon’s hand started moving down again, back to where they were.
But her phone wouldn’t give up. And as Mina actually started growing worried, thinking it was probably something urgent, Nayeon caught that on as well. “I’m sorry.” She pulled back just the slightest, their foreheads still touching. “Let me at least check who’s calling to make sure it’s nothing urgent.” She sounded genuinely apologetic.
“It’s okay.” Mina took a step back, staring at Nayeon with her red swollen lips and kiss marks all over her. “I don’t mind it, maybe it’s urgent.” As Nayeon went for her phone she took a deep breath, trying to gather herself. She stared at the wall for a second questioning herself if this was really happening. The conversation Nayeon was having on the phone served as merely background noise.
When she looked back she could see that Nayeon wasn’t smiling anymore. Her face was serious as she listened to whoever was on the other line. “No, I understand.” She nodded. She looked at Mina completely apologetic already, Mina already understood what was happening. “Yes, you can call a car.”
If Mina said she wasn’t disappointed it would be a lie. The phone call turned out to be from work, Nayeon apologized profusely saying that almost never happened, and whenever it did it meant she had to be there immediately. Mina told her it was okay, of course, it was her job and she knew she didn’t have much of an option.
They exchanged numbers and Nayeon promised to make up for it. Mina reassured her that it was fine, she understood, she was a little sad about it, still, she knew it wasn’t their choice. Not much to do about it. Nayeon left in no time, she just received a notification on her phone claiming that the driver was downstairs and after a simple kiss on her mouth she was gone.
It felt awfully like a permanent goodbye, like they would never see each other again, even though they exchanged numbers. Mina was going to go back to Japan soon enough and since Nayeon was working she didn’t think she would have a chance to see her again before leaving. Only then it crossed her mind that she forgot to ask what Nayeon did for a living. It didn’t really matter now anyway.
Mina plopped down on her bed. So many things happened in the past hour she was having a hard time assimilating it. She realized as well that it was the longest she didn’t think about her break up since it happened. Nayeon was definitely something good, it was unfortunate she had to leave. Sana would have a field trip asking her about the details tomorrow.
Her lips were still tingling from the kisses, she could still feel Nayeon’s hands all over her. She can’t deny that she did a number on her and it would probably be something Mina reminisces about for the rest of her life. She sighed, this was fun, Nayeon was fun. Mina knew it didn’t have to mean anything and she kind of liked it like that. Maybe they weren’t meant to last, she thinks she’s fine with it.
It didn’t take too long for Mina to fall asleep after that. She changed out of her dress, took off her makeup, laughed at the lipstick mess her face was. And her tiredness caught up to her, there was no reason for her to battle sleep, the next day she didn’t have to wake up early either so she could enjoy a couple more hours of sleep. Mina fell asleep thinking about Nayeon, hoping to dream about her as well.
The next day Mina woke up to her phone blaring in her ear. She frowned, whining to herself. It felt a little too early, so she checked the clock on her wall. 7 in the morning. She turned off her phone, not even checking who was calling. She knew it wasn’t work and nothing was going to keep her from sleeping more right now. Except someone starting banging on her door as well.
Mina stumbled to the door, still half asleep. It must be an emergency for someone to be banging on her door with such urgency. She didn’t even finish opening the door completely before an euphoric Sana passed by her, walking into her room and closing the door behind her. “Do you not answer your phone?!” She spoke a little too loud and Mina was still assimilating what was going on.
She turned around again to check the clock, maybe she saw it wrong and maybe it’s later than she thought it was. The clock was still on 7, the minutes had passed though so it wasn’t broken. Mina silently walked to her phone, checking the time in a more reliable source. 7:05 am. She looked back at Sana. “Are you going insane? It’s 7 in the morning.” She scrolled through the missed calls from Sana, it was at least 5 before the one that woke her up, she was really deep into her sleep.
“Exactly!” Sana exclaimed like it meant something. “So imagine my surprise when I wake up at 6 in the morning for my morning run thinking it was just going to be another normal, peaceful day, and everyone in the world is claiming my best friend is dating a famous international actress!” She quickly grabbed her phone, handing it to Mina in an article.
“Famous actress Im Nayeon spotted at the rooftop bar date with a supposedly new girlfriend. Witnesses said they were acting very close and holding themselves back from kissing in public. Is the actress sparking a new romance or has this been going on for a while?”
Mina’s jaw was on the floor. The article even included a picture of them at the bar, at a moment where it really did look like they were close. Her hand was resting on Nayeon’s leg while she was leaning in and whispering something in her ear, her hand on Mina’s arm. She thought back and she remembered that at that moment the music was a bit loud, that’s why she was leaning in so close.
“That’s not the only article either, it’s everywhere and you didn’t even tell me!” Sana slapped her arm. “My best friend! I feel betrayed.” She shook her head, pacing around the room. “Didn’t even tell me that she is a famous actress! That’s the type of thing you call me in the middle of the night to tell.” Sana paused, thinking. “Unless…” Another slap in her arm. “You slept with her!” Her jaw was on the floor.
Mina laughed at her creativity. She wasn’t too far off, but it didn’t happen. “I didn’t sleep with her!” She rubbed her arm like the slaps hurt, even if they didn’t. “I didn’t even know she was an actress.” Mina sighed, scratching the back of her neck. “Maybe I should’ve asked though, this is kind of insane.”
“Kind of?!” Sana was still euphoric. “This is completely insane.” She sat on her bed. “Did you guys really not sleep together though? What really happened? I need to know please.” She whined. “Don’t make me beg, I’m your best friend. It's within my right to know what happened, even more so because I knew you guys would work out from the start, I told you to leave that note!”
Mina laughed and sat down next to her, telling her everything that happened. Her waiting in the bar, Nayeon surprising her. All the flirting, Nayeon asking her about her hotel room. She did feel a little shy when she told her that they made out, but the face Sana did was priceless. It was all very crazy to think about, she almost couldn’t believe that it happened in the first place.
“Then her phone rang, at first she didn’t answer but it kept ringing, and when she answered, she had to go.” Mina shrugged. “She said it was urgent, something to do with work. So we exchanged phone numbers, and that was it, she left.” She watched as Nayeon processed everything, she just stared at her, taking in everything she just told her.
Sana didn’t say anything, instead she went on her phone. Mina was confused, she thought she would be euphoric, asking for more details, but she was just scrolling through social media. “Oh! That makes sense.” She pointed the phone towards her again. Apparently Nayeon was caught leaving a photoshoot in the middle of the night. “It really was a work emergency.”
Mina didn’t even think about the possibility of her lying, but it’s nice to know that she was indeed having a good time and the only reason she left was because she had work. “That’s funny.” Sana smiled at her phone. “People are really liking you two together, they are very into it.”
She took the phone from Sana’s hands to see what she was talking about. She scrolled through a couple of posts, and people really seemed to like them as a couple. There were a lot of very supportive messages and apparently Nayeon had been out for a while, so people weren’t surprised or anything like that. Mina thought it was actually very nice, usually the fans don’t really like when famous people get into relationships.
“That must be a PR nightmare.” Sana pointed it out. “Do you think her manager is mad at her or something like that?” Mina stared at her thinking about it. “I mean, at least people are taking it well, so it can’t be that bad, right?”
Mina felt bad, she didn’t want to cause Nayeon any trouble. She didn’t even know Nayeon was famous, she didn’t see any of this coming. She was about to say something to Sana when she got a notification on her phone. Mina frowned, walking towards it and unlocking, finding a message that made her stomach twist.
“Good morning! Can we meet soon? As soon as possible if that’s okay, I’d like to see you again and talk to you about some things :)”
It was obvious who sent the message, still, Mina stared at it in surprise. It had a smiley face so it couldn’t be anything bad, right? Nayeon didn’t sound like she was mad at her or like they did anything wrong. But the fact she explicitly said she wanted to talk to her made her a little hesitant. “Oh my god, she just messaged you didn’t see?” Sana jumped out of bed to stand next to her.
Sana pushed her slightly. “Stop staring at it and reply already!” She rolled her eyes. Mina didn’t even know what to say. Of course she was willing to see her again, but she felt like she should say something else too. Maybe an apology for not being more careful or asking if she was okay. Scared of screwing things up even further she replied with a simple message back. “Good morning! Yes, of course. I’m free all day, just text me the address and the hour and I’ll be there :)” She made sure to add the smiley face as well.
It was only a few hours later and Mina was at a coffee shop, sitting at one of the tables in the back, waiting for Nayeon to meet her. She was nervous, her hands were a little sweaty and she wondered if this was a nice friendly meeting or something else entirely. Mina had no idea what she was getting herself into by going there, and she was completely willing to risk it.
When she saw a figure wearing a hat and sunglasses walking into the coffee shop she immediately knew it was her. Mina wondered why she agreed to go out with her, knowing that people might see them. Truth is, she didn’t even know to what extent Nayeon was a public figure, if she was someone very private or if she was one of those people with news coming out about them every 5 minutes. She didn’t check it before coming either.
“Hi, Mina.” Nayeon sat in front of her, a smile on her face. Honestly, seeing her smile made her feel less nervous, maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she thought it would. “I’m sorry for scheduling this in such a hurry, it’s just something very important.” She sighed, trying to find the words for it. “I’m sure by now you know what’s going on?” Mina nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to talk about that…”
Mina couldn’t help but let out a little laugh, Nayeon seemed to be just as nervous as she was, it was actually kind of comforting. “Yeah… I woke up to my best friend banging on my door and telling me about it. I didn’t even know you were an actress.” She was honest. “It crossed my mind last night that I never asked what you did for a living, so it really was a surprise.”
“It was my mistake not to tell you either.” Nayeon apologized. “I should’ve told you about it, or at least warned you I was a public figure. Honestly I just didn’t think we would get seen by anyone, I know that hotel can be very discreet so I was a little careless about it. I do apologize for dragging you into this.” She sounded genuinely apologetic.
“I don’t mind it.” Mina was quick to reassure her. “I genuinely don’t. And from the comments your fans weren’t too upset about it either.” They both laughed. “So it’s completely okay, both that it’s out there and that you didn’t tell me you were an actress… Again, it’s not like I asked so it is partially my fault too.” She scratched the back of her neck.
Nayeon nervously fidgeted with her hands. “I’m glad you think that, because I also asked you to meet me because I needed to talk to you about something.” She paused, and Mina got ten times more nervous than before. She had no idea what she was going to talk about, but she made it sound like it wasn’t something good. “My manager called me first thing in the morning when she saw all the articles and everything.”
“Did I get you in trouble?” Mina interrupted her. “I’m very sorry about that.” She honestly didn’t want to cause her any trouble. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble and if there’s anything I can do to make it right or to help you I am willing to do it.” She offered, feeling genuinely sorry.
“Actually.” Nayeon smiled. “It was quite the opposite.” Mina frowned, confused, but she let Nayeon explain. “Since my fans and everyone else took it so well and they really liked us together, my manager was quite happy with it.” She looked down. “It’s very good publicity for me and that’s something my manager is always looking for. In fact, she would like for it to happen more times.”
Mina was glad that her manager was actually very accepting. Since everyone else seemed to be as well she figured this would be good for Nayeon, but she didn’t want to assume. They are speaking very well of them as a couple and it was actually quite nice to see, she just didn’t really understand what Nayeon was saying. “Your manager wants you to go on more dates?” She questioned, completely confused and misunderstanding what Nayeon was saying.
Nayeon laughed, realizing she would have to be a lot more clear with Mina. She didn’t think being honest and upfront in this situation was something bad at all, and she didn’t think that Mina would take it badly either. “I actually have a proposal for you Mina.” She started. “Since everyone liked us as a couple so much, my manager wanted me to keep it going. It was good publicity for me and it would be very good for my career. So my proposal is, I would like for us to fake date, pretend to be girlfriends, just for the media. For a little while at least.” She paused. “I would pay you for it, of course, this would pretty much be a business deal, though in my opinion much more fun than that.”
Mina froze. She expected a lot of things to come out of Nayeon’s mouth, in fact, when she was making her way to the coffee shop she was thinking about all the possibilities of what Nayeon wanted to talk to her about. And asking her to enter a fake relationship with her didn’t cross her mind a single time. It actually sounded progressively more insane the more she thought about it. “You want us to pretend to be dating?” Nayeon nodded. “For the media.” She nodded again.
Safe to say Mina was unsure about the whole deal. While she really did like Nayeon and she would love to keep in touch with her, this sounded insane, she wanted to help her but she didn’t know what this might demand from her. Mina wasn’t a public figure, and she wasn’t exactly looking to become one either. Not to mention that Nayeon must have crazy busy schedules, and Mina does as well. They would certainly run into scheduling issues, not to mention that they don’t even know each other that well. “I can tell you’re overthinking.” Nayeon interrupted her thoughts.
“I get that you’re hesitant about it, so maybe I should elaborate a little more to maybe ease your mind.” Mina nodded, not really saying anything. “So first of all, this would be paid. I would not make you do this for free, this is a business deal like I told you and you will be rewarded accordingly. Second, I know you have your job and it can be very demanding, so is mine. We would release a public note that we have been dating for a while, but that we have different schedules, so that’s why we don’t go out in public a whole lot.” Mina figured that would make sense for the people. “And from our end, whenever I’m in the same city as you and we have time, even if it’s just 5 minutes, we make a public appearance, get a coffee or something, just making sure there’s eyes on us, or at least pictures, and that’s it.”
When Nayeon put it like this it did sound like an actual business deal. She made it sound sort of easy actually. She knows Nayeon comes and goes from Seoul to Japan and those are usually the places she’s at as well, so whenever they have time they would just meet, make sure some people would see them and that’s it. Honestly, it didn't sound like something complicated at all.
While Mina was thinking about it Nayeon took out a paper and pen from her purse, she wrote something down and handed it to her. “This would be how much we would pay you for everything. I know it’s a lot to ask for so I want to make sure you’re well repaid.” Mina’s jaw immediately dropped at the number on the paper.
“That’s for the whole thing?” She wondered, still shocked. It would not only pay off all of her debt, but it would make her life a lot easier, it would be the beginning of financial stability for her, after this money her entire salary wouldn’t be compromised and she could actually start climbing up in life.
“Oh, No.” Nayeon shook her head, smiling. “That amount would be for each month. So depending on how many months we go, which we’ll figure out over time, I’ll make sure to give you this much.” She explained it a little better. Mina’s jaw was on the floor. She could think about it as much as she wanted to, but the answer was quite obvious.
Mina sat on the hotel bed, staring at the piece of paper and her phone next to it. She couldn’t believe the last 4 hours of her life. The paper was hard evidence that everything in fact happened, and she wasn’t hallucinating or something along those lines, no matter how much it feels like it. She has no idea what she has gotten herself into, and she wouldn’t have much time to find out either.
Her phone was opened on a text from Nayeon, saying that their first public appearance would be this evening. Next to it was the contract that she signed just a couple of hours ago, a contract that was actually very simple, only stating the amount of money Mina would win, what she was obligated to do, and essentially an NDA, which Mina was able to negotiate and she could at least tell Sana though with the consequence that if anyone else found out the truth it would be Mina’s fault and therefore a breach of agreement. Mina would get properly penalized for it.
It was easy to agree with everything included in the contract. For starters they would need to have at least 3 public appearances. Besides those, Mina was obligated to attend every event Nayeon went to as long as they were in the same city, transportation would be completely on the actress. Outside closed doors they were required to act like couples, no matter if they were aware of cameras or not. And lastly the contract would only end when Nayeon decided her services would no longer be required though that part was negotiable.
To be fair, Mina is almost certain she would’ve accepted anything that was on that contract for that amount of money. It didn’t seem like anything outrageous when she read it. Not to mention that she was willing to do anything Nayeon wanted for months if it meant financial stability, plus, it was Nayeon, it was a fair trade in her opinion.
Mina wasn’t too sure what she was getting herself into. She was hesitant about it, but at the same time she wasn’t scared. For some reason she trusted Nayeon, and she knew that if things went sideways, she would probably be able to get out of it. Though she doesn’t think they will, she is fairly confident that this will work out well. However, one of Mina’s goals wasn’t to become a public figure, so somehow she’ll try keeping a low profile in all of this.
Mina didn’t really like the idea of people watching her every move, and having to be very aware whenever she goes out the door. Nayeon explained to her that from now on, she has to think someone is taking pictures of her or watching her, even if no one is. The public eye is not only on Nayeon, but on her as well and she will have to be aware of that, for her own good. It was something she hadn’t really thought about up to that point.
She knows this will take some adaptation time for her, and besides all of this she still has her job, so Mina will have to learn how to balance both and how not to lose herself amidst all of this. Nayeon was also very understanding about her work, claiming she didn’t want to get in the way of it at all, it wasn’t her goal. They would do their best to try balancing their fake relationship and their jobs, making public appearances while each of them lived their own life separately.
If she claimed she wasn’t nervous it would be a lie, though Mina is starting to learn that usually things that involve Nayeon makes her nervous regardless of what it is. It’s crazy to think that her life was turned upside down out of nowhere, and it all started with a note. Mina knows that after all of this her life will have completely changed, and she really can’t complain about that. Not to mention that pretending to date such a beautiful woman is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she was going to take it.
She spent two hours texting Sana and explaining to her what had happened and even Sana was having a hard time believing her. Mina could definitely understand the feeling, she barely believed it herself. She wanted to prepare herself emotionally and actually take some time to get ready, now that she knows all eyes are going to be on her. She even went out to buy new clothes, she figured she could treat herself to it and that Nayeon deserved to be spotted next to someone that looked nice, not her in regular jeans and a t-shirt.
Mina got ready right on time. She didn’t want to be late and keep Nayeon waiting, so she made sure to start getting ready before she had to. It also helped that she had the outfit ready, usually that’s what she spends the most time on. Her makeup wasn’t the most elaborate, Nayeon told her that this was just supposed to be a regular outing, them just having dinner. So she didn’t have to go all out.
Soon enough Nayeon texted her letting her know that the driver was on the way to pick her up. Mina could never have imagined that one day she would have someone saying a driver was going to pick her up. From what she can tell, this is going to be completely different from anything she has ever experienced in her life.
She could see Nayeon in the back seat of the car when it parked in front of her hotel. The driver got out of the car to open the door for her, she shily thanked him, getting in the car with her. Nayeon had a smile on her face, she greeted Mina and the car took off, taking them to their destination.
“When are you leaving to go back to Japan?” She wondered, looking at a calendar on her phone. Mina could see that she was completely booked, it made her wonder what time she would have for a relationship. “I will stay here for another four days I’m pretty sure.” She frowned, clicking on the dates to see what her schedules were. “Then I’ll go back to Japan and stay there for two weeks, which should give us plenty of time to sell this relationship to the media.” Mina frowned, looking at the driver, worried about talking about this in front of him. “Oh don’t worry, Sung has been with us for years, I trust him with my life.”
She nodded, trusting her too. “I leave tomorrow, the flight is at 3 pm so I should be at the airport at around 12?” Mina questioned mostly to herself. “I’ll confirm the details later and I’ll send them to you. My next flight is probably on sunday, but they haven’t confirmed anything with me yet, and it should be something local so I usually fly back home the same day.” She went through her phone to confirm this information to Nayeon.
“Okay.” She nodded. “That’s perfect, I think we’ll be able to see each other soon enough then.” Mina didn’t think fake dating someone would sound so much like business meetings. “Also if it’s okay I would like for you to keep me on loop of your flights and where you go, it’s mostly to make it easier for us to meet since you come and go a lot and I do too.” She smiled.
“Yeah, I’m okay with that. Usually I get my flight schedules around a week before them, but if I have to cover for someone it’s a little less time.” She explained to Nayeon. “Though that doesn't happen very often and I’ll try my best to let you know everything so I don’t mess with your schedule.” Honestly by looking at Nayeon’s calendar she was a little taken back, she hoped that finding a time to meet her wouldn’t be too much of a hassle.
Nayeon waved her off. “Don’t worry about that, my schedule can be very unpredictable as well. We can just meet whenever we both can and that’s enough.” She reassured her. “My manager said she’ll work my schedule a little more around the relationship now since it’ll be good for me, so it shouldn’t look this bad soon enough, I’m just getting done with recording something right now.” She pointed towards her phone. They both laughed.
Dinner was mostly uneventful. Mina actually got to learn a little more about Nayeon’s job which was actually nice. She has been an actress for a while now, she is just finishing her next movie, which is why she is currently in Seoul. In between movies she records a lot of commercials, but she told Mina that her schedule would definitely settle once she was done recording this.
Nayeon quietly pointed out the paparazzi outside of the restaurant as they ate their meal, which led her to place her hand on top of Mina’s. She knew it was just for the cameras, but her mind couldn’t help but to go back to the day before, when Nayeon was genuinely flirting with her. It made her wonder if right now this was strictly for business, or if she was still attracted to her. She realized she couldn’t hope for it to be the second option.
Their date was honestly quicker than Mina expected. Nayeon said that this was mostly to set them as a couple, for more pictures to be out there and people talk more about them, so that eventually she could confirm publicly that they were in fact dating. Mina didn’t mind it, she did get a very good meal out of it. Later that night Nayeon dropped her off with a kiss on the cheek and the promise that they would see each other again soon.
Mina felt a little weird to be back to her routine the next day. Going to the airport, working, getting back to her apartment, it all felt a little too normal now. She had such a crazy past week that she lost touch with her own routine, and as much as she was happy to be back, she wasn’t used to it anymore.
As soon as she sat down on her couch she felt the weight of everything that happened the past week weighing on her shoulders. Her breakup, Nayeon, now her fake relationship. It was all a lot to process and Mina wasn’t very good at processing things. It did make her realize that she didn’t miss her ex as much as she thought it was, living without her already appears to be her new normal and she doesn’t exactly think it’s normal for her to get used to it so fast, but she can’t exactly complain either, it does make things a lot easier.
She was about to get up to shower when she got a text on her phone from Nayeon. “Did you land safely? I’m currently on a break and I’m sooo bored.” Mina stared at her text. She wasn’t opposed to them texting, but she didn’t know that it was something they would be doing. She thought from that point on it would be business strictly, she didn’t think they would also be forming a friendship of some sort, though she didn’t mind it at all.
Mina wasn’t even sure if they were texting just so they would get to know each other better for the sake of their business or if Nayeon was genuinely interested in getting to know her. She wasn’t even sure which option she preferred, for some reason keeping a bigger distance from all of this felt like the right choice. She didn’t want their lines to get blurred.
What she didn’t expect was Nayeon to be so friendly. That day they ended up texting until late in the night. Nayeon only finished recording at 2 in the morning, and Mina stayed up, waiting for her to go back to her apartment. She would text her every once in a while and it kept the conversation going, it was just as fun to text her as it was to talk to her. Plus, Mina figured it would make it a lot easier to pretend to be dating her in front of the cameras if they were actually close, so a friendship is not so bad.
Mina also ended up sending her schedule for the next week. Nayeon was quick to confirm that as soon as she was back in Japan they would be seeing each other again, and the date they had at the restaurant led to really good press about them, her manager was happy and she was happy as well. Of course Mina knew all of that already, she spent some time reading the articles too.
So far this business deal wasn’t bad at all. She updated Sana on everything going on as well, as she felt just as crazy as Mina did. She knew it would take some time getting used to it, but so far it feels like she never will. Regardless, Mina can’t forget that besides her and Nayeon she still has her own life to live and eventually this will be over and she’ll have to get back to her routine, so she can’t lose herself now.
Nayeon texted her a few days later letting her know they would have to attend a gala the next weekend, asking her to free her schedule for that day, luckily for Mina she wouldn’t have to move anything around, she was free that day. They have been texting non stop since that first text from her, and Nayeon is going to go back to Japan today so they’re going on a date tomorrow.
Mina has a flight tomorrow morning, and it’s been honestly a little weird to work her schedule around their relationship. She never had to worry when she had a flight and when she would be home or not. Even in her past relationship, she would see her girlfriend when she could and when she wanted to and they never did much planning.
But so far the thing that has been the weirdest to Mina is how in such a short time, people are already starting to recognize her, she’s getting a lot more looks towards her way and she can almost always tell if someone recognized her. She knew Nayeon was famous, and this would happen eventually, she just didn’t think it would be so fast. The other day when she was grocery shopping someone stopped her to ask if she was the woman with Nayeon, and even showed a picture of them.
Mina couldn’t deny it was her, but Nayeon did instruct her to not mention the word relationship or if someone asked about it specifically to not agree nor deny. She hasn’t announced it officially, so she can’t either. She was fine with it, to be fair she didn’t think people would start recognizing her so quickly. Mina knew Nayeon was famous but she didn’t think she would get stopped on the streets for being seen with her just a couple of times. Still, people were nice enough, so it wasn’t actually bothersome.
Their next outing would be at the park. Nayeon mentioned that this needed to be something a lot more casual, and not an official date or anything like that. The goal was to make it look like they were just spending time together, no matter what they were doing, just enjoying each other’s presence. At the end of the day, even though this was pretend, it needed to look real enough.
It was actually nice, and uneventful. They walked around a park that wasn’t close to Mina’s apartment or Nayeon’s apartment, for privacy reasons. They got some ice cream, sat down by a bench and just talked for a couple of hours. It was genuinely a very nice time and Mina felt like they were actual friends. She figured it only had to look like they were dating, but this could all be friendly.
Though of course, they still had to pretend, so Nayeon leaned in a little closer when they were talking. She touched her arm, held her hand. She knew that the press would have a lot of fun with this, and Nayeon found it amusing as well, whenever people were around she would call her girlfriend and giggle a little louder at whatever Mina said. Truthfully, Mina was happy by the time Nayeon dropped her off, talking to her was nice and spending time with her was even nicer, so far this was a really good deal.
“Mina, stand still.” Sana slapped her arm yet again. “I’m good at doing hair, but that doesn’t mean we need to risk it.” She scolded her yet again. Mina scoffed, Sana was being too strict, she was a person and not a doll, she can’t stand absolutely still. Maybe she should’ve paid someone to do it. “And don’t you dare even think about someone else doing your hair, it’s my duty as your best friend.”
Mina rolled her eyes, she hated when Sana knew exactly what she was thinking. Thankfully they had spare time to finish getting ready. Mina’s clothes were dropped off this morning by Nayeon’s driver, despite her insisting she didn’t have to give her anything. Nayeon claimed it was the least she could do, and that way she wouldn’t have to waste time or money on something to wear tonight. Deep down Mina was glad she did it, she would wreck her brain trying to figure out what to wear for a gala.
“So…” Sana interrupted her thoughts. “When are you going to show me what Nayeon got for you to wear?” She hadn’t opened the box yet, the box she sent arrived just a couple of minutes before Sana arrived and they went straight to do her hair, so she didn’t really have time to open it. “I bet it’s something super fancy.”
“It must be.” Mina agreed. “I think that was one of the reasons why she sent it, we still need to maintain an image and it wouldn’t look good for her for me to show up in a cheap dress. I think that’s also why she insisted on sending me what I was going to wear.” She pointed it out. Mina was also aware that if she went wearing anything she owned she would probably feel misplaced, and like she didn’t belong there. Her most expensive clothes was a dress and it cost around $30.
“Okay.” Sana stopped and took a step away from her. “We have time, open the box. I’m curious and you know maybe the hairstyle we are going for doesn’t match your outfit, let’s see it.” Mina laughed, knowing Sana was making up any excuse for them to just open it and see what was inside.
Mina took the bait, she got up, pretending to be annoyed and walked to the box. Sana stood next to her, carefully watching as Mina opened the box. Inside there were 3 things, a note, presumably from Nayeon. A smaller box, and the clothes, wrapped in a white paper. Mina started with the note, of course.
"Mina, I hope you like what I picked out for you. It took me a while to find exactly what I had in mind, but when I saw this, I pictured you in it and I just knew it was the right choice. The jewelry too. Please accept these as a gift, a small thank you for everything you’ve done for me so far. - Nayeon"
“Oh I have so many things to unpack here.” Sana smiled, reading the note as well.
Mina scoffed, not saying anything, instead she grabbed the smaller box, opening to see what would obviously be the jewelry Nayeon picked out for her. The minute she saw the contents of the box she was speechless. It was a necklace with a pair of earrings. The necklace was delicate, but it exuded luxury, it was entirely made of diamonds with a beautiful ruby stone in the shape of a teardrop in the middle, the earrings matched stones as well.
That alone would pay off Mina’s entire apartment, and would probably buy her a car too. She stared at it, in complete surprise, she didn’t even know what to do with herself, that was too much. “You know how you must thank her right?” Sana spoke next to her, she was so focused on the necklace that she didn’t even process the innuendo in her words. Mina would never be able to thank Nayeon for this, and she didn’t even see the dress. She made a mental note to insist later to Nayeon that she shouldn’t keep it.
Sana, getting tired of waiting for Mina to move and see the dress, decided to see it for herself. They were both in awe when they saw it, it was red, matching the ruby stone, it had some details on the sleeve and it showed Mina’s entire collarbone area as well as a thigh-high slit that left her leg on display. It was a little more showy than she was used to, but when she tried it on she couldn’t deny how beautiful it was.
Mina would never be able to afford something like this, she couldn’t even begin to imagine how much it all was. And for the sake of the night, she wouldn’t overthink this either, not right now at least. She would talk to Nayeon about not keeping them, but only later, now she needed to finish getting ready, so she wasn’t late. They wasted enough time drooling over the gifts already.
She barely recognized herself in the mirror when she was done getting ready. Her hair, the makeup, the dress, the jewelry. It made her look so much more elegant, fancy, she couldn’t deny how much she liked it. “Listen…” Sana stood next to her. “I know you’re my best friend, but if you weren’t-”
“Please don’t even finish that sentence.” Mina laughed, turning to face her. Sana did another once over, checking if everything was in place and she was actually ready. Mina could see it in her face how happy she was. Honestly, she was very happy too. This was something completely out of her ordinary and so far she’s liking it a lot. Mina realized quickly that everything in relation to Nayeon, she quite likes.
When Mina’s phone received a notification she immediately knew it was Nayeon. She grabbed it, unlocking, finding indeed a text from her letting her know that the driver was on his way. Sana scoffed. “You guys have been texting too right?” She questioned, Mina just nodded, paying half mind to what she was saying, more focused on replying to Nayeon right now. “Nayeon is very nice, no?” Mina nodded again. “And very pretty too.”
That made her finally look up. Sana had a smirk on her face, the same one she had that day on the plane, she was up to no good. “She is very pretty, and also very nice. What about it?” She questioned, not really wanting to do this dance and wanting Sana to be straightforward already.
“No need to get so defensive.” She lifted her hands like she was surrendering. “I’m just saying.” She shrugged. “Wouldn’t it be nice to actually date her? Not just pretending to, in front of cameras and in public and actually doing it.” Sana smirked, which immediately made Mina roll her eyes.
“We’re just friends, Sana.” She scoffed. “Nothing more. I’m more of her employee right now than anything else. She’s paying me at the end of the day, right. Yes she might be pretty and very nice and that first date we had we made out, but it’s completely different now. I have to be professional, we are just friends and that’s all we will be.” She shrugged, pretending she didn’t care about what they were. Mina paced around the room, busying herself with getting her things and putting it inside her very tiny purse.
“Right.” Sana started laughing. “I’m sure that’s all you guys want to be.” Mina paused, staring at her in annoyance. “What? I’m just saying, you can say it as much as you want that you’re just friends and there’s nothing more going on. But I know you Mina, even if you don’t know it yourself yet, trust me. You want her. Bad.” She sat back down on her bed.
Mina was about to protest and argue against her when she received another text from Nayeon, that usually meant she arrived at her apartment. So she just rolled her eyes, grabbed her keys and went towards the door, if Sana didn’t follow behind her she would lock her in there, she didn’t care. After speaking such nonsense she kind of deserved it.
Just like last time when she arrived at the car Nayeon was there already. She couldn’t deny that she was happy to see her, the last time they only stayed together for a few hours and she was looking forward to enjoying a little more time next to her today, even if it was to something she has never attended before, like a gala. “You look beautiful, Mina.” Nayeon smiled looking at her. “I really did pick well.” She smiled.
Mina couldn’t help the blush that rose to her cheeks. “Thank you, you really have good taste.” She praised her skills. “I did want to talk to you about keeping everything, though.” She spoke a little lower, feeling shy about it. “It’s really nice everything, and I’m so thankful, but I don’t think I can keep it.”
Nayeon immediately started shaking her head. “I told you it was a gift, Mina. You don’t send gifts back.” She smiled. “I bought it thinking about you, you’ve been helping me out a lot and you deserve it. I’m not taking no as an answer, you’re keeping all of it and that’s it, end of story.” Her tone was light. “Plus, what if you need it again in the future?" She shrugged.
Mina’s stomach twisted a little at the idea that they might be doing this for a while, or at least long enough so that Mina would be attending multiple different galas next to her, as her girlfriend. She murmured a small ‘Thank you’ and dropped the subject, she didn’t want to insist when Nayeon seemed so determined on her keeping it.
“Oh by the way, I wanted to talk to you about a few things before we got there.” Nayeon looked at her again. Mina always got so lost in her features, Nayeon was truly the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. “This is your first gala right?” Mina nodded. “You don’t have to worry, just stick to my side, I’ll introduce you to people. For the most part things should go by smoothly, but if you feel uncomfortable or get overwhelmed or anything like that, just let me know.” She reassured her. “These events can be a lot, there’s plenty of people coming to talk to you all the time, paparazzi, the flashes, so if you feel bad at all, just let me know.”
Mina nodded. “I will.” She hadn’t admitted to anyone else, but she was feeling a little hesitant about this gala thing. It felt very fancy and the type of event that Mina has never attended, she was unsure on how to behave, what to say, if Nayeon would be by her side all the time. It was good to know that she was worried about her as well, and despite everything she was willing to help her.
Soon enough they were arriving at the venue. Nayeon placed a hand on her leg when the car parked. “Ready?” Mina nodded, looking around the car to the sea of paparazzi and flashes, everyone already curious to see who was inside the car, taking pictures of them without seeing who they were first.
It was stressful, she couldn’t deny it. Even to just make their way inside the venue was a hassle. Nayeon had four bodyguards around them and it was still not easy. The entire time Nayeon stood next to her, her hand on her lower back guiding her. She was shielding her and honestly acting very protective, Mina appreciated it. Eventually they made their way inside, Mina just knew that tomorrow there would be endless pictures of them getting released.
The first hour was mostly just walking around the event meeting new people. Mina had lost count of the amount of people that came up to them to talk to Nayeon, and everytime Nayeon would introduce her as her girlfriend. Their reaction would always be the same as well, congratulate them, wish them good things. Mina knew that most of it was fake, but at least they cared enough to pretend.
Eventually they settled at their table. There were drinks waiting for them already, which Mina was very eager to taste, she could use the liquid courage. While this was completely new, she didn’t hate it too much. Things could be a lot worse, and for the most part Nayeon is doing all the talking, which she’s grateful for. It was a bit overwhelming to have so many people talking to them, but Mina’s job also required her to be nice to strangers, so she was used to it.
As she watched more and more people arriving and coming over to talk to Nayeon, she couldn’t help but to think how tiring that must be for her. Having to keep on a smile, and always pretend to be happy and excited about talking to all these people. She could imagine how tiring it must get. Still, she had to remember that Nayeon was an actress, and she was used to this.
Mina looked at her in awe. Once things actually settled she could finally get a good look at Nayeon and what she was wearing, and she looked perfect, if normally she looked good, today somehow she looked even better. Mina was having a hard time focusing on anything else. As the night went on the drinks kept coming, she always heard that celebrities events like these always had a lot of alcohol, now she’s experiencing it.
Throughout the night Nayeon would also check up on her, making sure that she was fine and that things were good. She seemed genuinely worried about her, but honestly, Mina was okay. And the more drinks she had in her, the better she felt. Though eventually she figured she should stop taking them, not wanting to cause a scene or do anything embarrassing in front of Nayeon.
Nayeon seemed to be having fun as well, once people stopped talking to her she actually started talking to Mina as well. She told her about her next projects, that she would be doing a commercial sometime next week, and that some people invited her to do a movie, but that she wasn’t sure because recording would be overseas, in europe, and she didn’t want to leave asia for the time being.
Mina caught herself thinking about what Sana said, of them actually dating. She wondered what it would be like to date Nayeon for real. If she would act the way she acts whenever they have to fake it for the cameras. If she was actually just as touchy, just as nice. She wondered right now, if Nayeon did all of this just for the cameras, or if she actually cared about Mina. If she actually liked being around her. “Do you want to dance?” Her thoughts were interrupted by Nayeon extending her hand towards her.
Of course Mina said yes, and as Nayeon led her to the dance floor, to slow dance to a song, Mina thought back on their first date. Nayeon put her hands around her shoulders, leaving Mina no option but to put it around her waist. She remembered how good it felt to have Nayeon’s body flushed against hers, the way her tongue felt inside her mouth, her touches, the noises she made.
Mina stared at her eyes, wondering if there's a world where they would be more than just pretend girlfriends, and if things would work out between them. That freaked Mina out, she hasn’t known Nayeon for that long but she already can’t imagine her life without her. She’s not stupid, she can tell she has deeper feelings for Nayeon, and she can’t screw things up with her by letting them take over.
Instead, Mina buried those feelings deep inside her. At a place she was sure they wouldn’t be out. She focused on their dance, their surroundings. She kept her mind from it, though she realized how screwed she was. Eventually the music stopped, and they made their way back to their table. Every once in a while Nayeon would kiss her cheek, even though Mina knew it was for the cameras, her heart tugged a little every single time.
As it turns out, Mina was really good at pretending like she was fine, even if she was overthinking everything. A couple of hours later they were leaving the event, and Mina was a little more quiet on the drive back to her apartment. Nayeon dropped her off with a kiss on the cheek, and said that they would be going out again soon. She also warned her that tomorrow when the pictures of them were released, she would confirm to the press that they were dating.
That night Mina couldn’t sleep very well. Realizing that she actually liked Nayeon, as more than friends hit her like a rock. She wasn’t sure what she should do now, but telling her wasn’t an option. Not only did she need the money from this, but she also felt like it wasn’t fair for Nayeon. She needed to keep pretending, keeping doing this for her. Mina would figure out everything inside her later.
The only issue was that as time went on, these feelings became more and more overwhelming. Everytime they would talk, every time they would see each other, Mina realized she was falling deeper and deeper. Whenever she had to work and fly somewhere for a couple of days she would be sad that it meant they couldn’t go on a date.
Whenever Nayeon’s schedules were a little more busy and all they could do was get a cup of coffee she would feel sad. She grew so used to Nayeon and her presence that whenever she wasn’t around, she didn’t feel like herself. It was now over a month since they started this, and the more time it passed the more Mina felt like it was real.
She felt sad when they weren’t together, and Mina didn’t feel this sad even when her ex broke up with her. Mina was experiencing things she never did before, her heart beated strongly in her chest when she was around Nayeon, it was something else entirely. What she feels for Nayeon, could never compare to what she feels towards her ex, now she understands a little better why their relationship ended.
If Mina’s being completely honest, she has no idea how she ended up here. Nayeon had scheduled this date a couple of weeks ago. Apparently since she confirmed her relationship a lot of brands have been contacting her for deals, most of which she denied, because it would require Mina to be included, but one in specific really caught her attention.
It was a winery, owned by a family. They were looking to expand their horizons, and business had been really bad lately. So they contacted Nayeon, offering a free tour, with as much wine as they wished. And in return, Nayeon only had to make a few posts about being there, and if the paparazzi caught them there, even better, that would be good press as well.
She immediately accepted it, thinking it would be something fun for them to do as a couple. A little winery tour, with wine tasting. Something simple, yet elegant. And they would be helping a family with their business, which did make Nayeon very happy. Honestly, Mina was down to do anything Nayeon wanted. Any dates, from the most simple to the most elaborate ones, she was just happy to spend time with her.
Safe to say that halfway through the tour they were already starting to get a little drunk. Both Nayeon and Mina were already expecting it, they even planned on taking care of each other if things got bad, but for the most part they were just having fun. Laughing at the wind and just enjoying their time. For the first time in days, Mina wasn’t overthinking everything she went through with Nayeon, and was actually just enjoying her presence.
Except that on their way back, things shifted. Mina was a little tired, sleepy even. Nayeon was humming to a song playing on the radio, and she couldn’t help but to stare at her, content with their day. The alcohol made her not realize that she was staring at her for longer than it was normal, and when Nayeon realized she just looked at her, smiling. She really liked having Nayeon around, and she always smelled so good. She always looked so pretty and Mina really liked her.
Mina decided to be a little bold at that moment, she placed a hand on Nayeon’s thigh, and squeezed. She didn’t dare look at her, but when Nayeon didn’t move her hand, only spread her legs wider, she knew that she could keep her hand there. The next thing she heard was. “Mr. Sung, don’t worry about dropping me off at my apartment, I will be staying at Mina’s.” She placed her hand on top of Mina’s and squeezed again.
They could barely wait for the front door of Mina’s apartment to close before they were all over each other. Mina was the one that pulled her in first, not being able to wait a second longer apart from her, missing the taste of her lips, her body against hers. Nayeon kissed her back immediately, wasting no time in deepening their kiss.
Mina can admit that she was a little desperate, her hand on her waist was strong, and she didn’t want to let go of her for a single second. Nayeon kissed her back just as eagerly, removing her shirt and throwing it somewhere. As they stumbled back to Mina’s bedroom, the rest of their clothes were coming off one by one, by the time they got there they were already skin on skin.
Nayeon pushed her back until the back of her knee touched the bed, Mina slowly laid down, with her body on top of her. Their lips still locked with each other, tongues dancing together. Mina could still taste a little wine on her, though right now she was more focused on her body. Her hand explored it, touching everywhere she could. Her ass, her waist, she lightly scratched her stomach, accidentally making Nayeon moan.
She could feel Nayeon all over as well. Her hand squeezed her breasts, playing with her nipples in between her fingers, she alternated between kissing her mouth and her neck, making sure to lick it as well. Though eventually she had enough with the teasing, so she switched their positions, finally being able to do what she has been wanting to since that day in Seoul, in her hotel room.
Mina kissed down her body. Leaving a trail of kisses from her cheek until the middle of her chest. She gave them a little attention, but they weren’t her main focus. The kisses on her stomach made her raise her hips a little, searching for more. Nayeon was squirming under her, her nails scratching Mina’s head. She smirked, moving further down, kissing the inside of her thigh, first one, then the other. “Quit teasing me.” Nayeon whined.
Mina laughed, looking up at her. Seeing her entire naked body and Nayeon staring down at her made her blood rush, she felt dizzy, she desperately wanted to put her mouth on her, but she was having so much fun teasing Nayeon. “Mina.” She whined again. “Please.” She pleaded. “I need you.”
She kept eye contact and she leaned down on Nayeon and tasted her for the first time. Nayeon moaned in her mouth, which only turned Mina on even further. She proceeded to work on her clit, circling her tongue on it, alternating between flicks. Nayeon moved her hips, grinding on her tongue, loudly moaning at the feeling.
Mina’s grip on her thighs was strong, making sure her legs stayed open for her. She didn’t expect Nayeon to taste so good, she could see herself becoming addicted to it, just like she is with everything that remotely relates to Nayeon. “More” Nayeon whined. “Want your fingers inside me, Mina.” Nayeon tugged on her hair, desperately grabbing anything in front of her.
Nayeon looked wonderful squirming under her. If she thought she looked beautiful before this, somehow now was even better. She did as she answered, moving her finger to her center, teasing her entrance and gathering some slick first. She licked her fingers before slowly moving them inside her, slowly, at a teasing pace.
Nayeon moaned louder the deeper Mina went. She was already a mess, but now with Mina sucking her clit and fucking her with her fingers, she was seeing stars. She curled her finger inside her, and Nayeon knew she wouldn’t last much longer. She was so wet that Mina’s fingers moved with tremendous ease. Though she started with two fingers, soon enough she inserted the third one at Nayeon's request.
Mina kept her movements, she wanted nothing more than for Nayeon to cum in her mouth and she was doing everything for that to happen, even if her jaw hurt she wasn’t going to stop, her tongue still licking her, her mouth still sucking her. Her fingers deep inside her, where she would curl them in a steady rhythm.
She knew she was close when her walls started pressing around her fingers. Nayeon’s knuckles were white as she gripped the sheets, her moans filling up the room. Mina started going just a little bit faster, her other hand now pinching her nipples lightly. Nayeon's hand went back to the back of her head, pressing her down closer to her center. Mina could barely breathe, but she didn’t care, she looked up, locking eyes with Nayeon. It was just after that when Nayeon came on her tongue.
Mina waited for Nayeon to catch her breath, before she moved up again, kissing her. Nayeon desperately pulled her, keeping their bodies flush against each other, skin on skin. Their kisses now are slower, softer. Until they eventually scaled again, and Nayeon returned the favor to her.
The next morning when Mina woke up everything just felt like a dream. The only thing that made her sure everything actually happened was how sore her body was. She smiled, thinking about it. Mina can’t even say how long she has been waiting for this, she is so happy that it finally happened. She opened her eyes, getting used to the light. Nayeon slept over at her house last night, she desperately wanted to kiss her again.
But when Mina turned to the side she wasn’t there anymore. Mina frowned, the bed was cold already, and it was 8 in the morning. She didn’t even see her leaving. Mina checked her phone, no notifications. She called out her name, thinking maybe she was eating something or maybe showering. There was no sign of her at all. No notes, no texts, nothing. Mina took a deep breath. It was too good to be true.
For the next couple of days their communication was almost nonexistent. Mina texted her schedule later that day and only got a response a day later. ‘Thank you’. Besides that, nothing. No dates scheduled, no daily texts, none of the things they used to do before. Mina scoffed, staring at her phone yet again, if she knew sleeping with Nayeon would do this she would have never done it.
The days after that were even harder. Mina doesn’t think she has ever felt like this for someone, and it hurts even more to be without her. She realizes now that what she had with her ex was nothing compared to this, she doesn’t think she has loved anyone the way she is loving Nayeon. And she’s not too sure she likes it either. The heartache hurts just as much. She has even been avoiding Sana, knowing that a couple of words exchanged and she would realize what was happening, and Mina did not want to talk about it, at least not yet.
Mina thought about texting her multiple times, but she wouldn’t even know what to say. It was about to be 5 days since they last saw each other, 4 since they last texted. Honestly, Mina just feels awkward now, like she would be bothering her if she texted or called. If Nayeon didn’t want to talk to her she had to be fine with it, there wasn’t much she could do. She just wondered where their deal landed with this.
It wasn’t until almost a week after they slept together that Mina got a text from her. It came out of nowhere, as she was getting out of a flight and going back to her apartment. She was tired and she wanted nothing more than to lay in her bed and sleep for the rest of the day, but she couldn’t ignore the text that said. “Can we meet later today?” Together with the address to a coffee shop. And what was she supposed to do but accept it.
Mina went back to her apartment before heading to the place Nayeon sent the address of. She was nervous, and fully convinced that Nayeon was going to end their contract, which would be the end of them in general. No more fake dating, no more friendship, nothing. She would have to move on like they were never anything, like she wasn’t in love with her. The closer she got, the more her stomach twisted, she didn’t even feel hungry anymore.
She could see Nayeon was already there when she arrived. Mina took a deep breath and walked towards the table, sitting in front of her. It was their first time seeing each other since they slept together, and somehow Nayeon was even more beautiful than what she remembered. “Hey.” Mina was the first one to speak.
“Hi.” Nayeon sounded a little awkward, which honestly, was what Mina was feeling as well. “You must be wondering why I’m here and why I haven’t been texting you or talking to you at all, really.” Mina scoffed, nodding. “I wanted to clear everything up.” Nayeon didn’t make eye contact with her. “First.” She reached inside her purse, taking out a contract, the same one Mina signed months ago. “I think this should be addressed before anything else.”
She knew then what was happening already, she didn’t need Nayeon saying anything else. “I understand, you want to end the contract. To be completely honest I was expecting this already. I know you don’t really want to talk to me right now and we haven’t spoken in a bit, but I have things I want to say as well. Clear the air I guess, get things off my chest.” Mina decided that she wanted to come clean, she felt like she needed to in order to move on.
“Let me go first, please.” Nayeon finally looked at her. “I don’t think I’ll be able to if I don’t just… Do it.” She has never seen Nayeon speaking so low, acting so hesitant. So she stayed silent, she didn’t mind speaking after her. “I think we should call this off.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this, I had no idea what I was doing, I was way over my head to be honest. You still helped me out a lot, and I will always be very thankful. You will still be paid, of course, I might even add a few months for the trouble I caused you, but we can’t keep this going.”
“I understand.” Mina nodded, staring at the contract in her hand. “You don’t have to pay me any extra, truly. I’m sorry things ended like this. I do agree we were way beyond our heads. I know it was supposed to just be pretend, but I really couldn’t help it. I didn’t mean to fall for you and-”
“What?” Nayeon interrupted her, frowning.
“Yeah, you don’t have to pay extra.”
“No, the other thing?”
“I didn’t mean to fall for you?”
Nayeon started laughing, making Mina even more confused. “We are so stupid.” She shook her head, Mina didn’t know what was happening, but she didn’t like it either. “I was ending the contract because I fell for you.” She pointed towards herself. “I fell for you Mina, and I didn’t think you felt the same, so I didn’t want you to keep pretending when I was sure you knew my feelings towards you. Which in my head was confirmed after we slept together.”
Mina was having a hard time assimilating everything. “You.” She pointed towards her. “Fell for me too?” Nayeon nodded, smiling. “And that’s why you wanted to end the contract?” Nayeon nodded again. “But…” She frowned. “You didn’t even text me, I was just so sure you knew about my feelings and didn’t accept them that’s why you didn’t want to do this anymore.”
“I didn’t text you because I was ashamed. That I ran in the morning, that I didn’t confess before.” Nayeon began explaining. “I was so sure you didn’t feel the same for me that I didn’t want to get my heart broken, I didn’t want to text you so you could treat me like your friend again and I would only get hurt.” She took Mina’s hand that was on the desk. “I’m sorry, for everything. Please forgive me.”
Mina finally smiled back. “We truly are so stupid. We were so scared of just telling our feelings to each other we only ended up hurting ourselves more.” She shook her head. “You really like me back?” She questioned again, having a hard time believing it. Honestly, she was so sure she would get rejected that she wasn’t prepared for this.
“I truly do.” Nayeon nodded, getting up from her chair. “Let me prove it to you.” She leaned down and kissed her, right then and there. Mina figured it was a good thing that people already knew they were dating, and now, it should be official.
It was smooth sailing after that. They stayed there talking for hours, clearing everything up and talking about everything that happened. Mina admitted she probably liked her since that day at the bar, and Nayeon confessed that she did too, which was one of the reasons why she was so willing to fake date her, and why she was so happy when her manager proposed it. Honestly, Mina is still unsure if it wasn’t her idea, but she’ll let her blame her manager instead.
Over the next few days she told Sana as well, which freaked out and screamed ‘I told you so’ multiple times to her face, before begging to meet Nayeon, saying that since this whole thing started she became a fan, but that if she hurt her best friend she would end her whole career.
Mina couldn’t deny just how happy she was after they got together, and how happier she gets as the days pass. She knows she belongs next to Nayeon, and they have many good things ahead of them. They learn more and more about each other and their fake dating was actually very good for a pre-run. Now they’re doing the real deal.
They started dating for real a couple of days after that, this time around they wouldn’t make the same mistakes, and this time around, all their feelings were out there. Nayeon was the happiest she’s been, and it shows. Things would only get better from then on.