Terms and Conditions

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/52572163.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings
Apply
Category: F/F
Fandom: TWICE (Band)
Relationship: Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina
Characters: Im Nayeon, Myoui Mina, Kim Dahyun, Yoo Jeongyeon, Hirai Momo,
Cho Miyeon, Miyawaki Sakura, Im Se-ah
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Sexual Content, Angst and
Fluff and Smut, Nayeon wants to fulfill her grandma’s dying wish, CEO
Im Nayeon, meets CEO Myoui Mina, Casual hook-up Nayeon/Miyeon
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-12-27 Updated: 2024-02-28 Words: 13,782 Chapters:
3/?
 Terms and Conditions
by Dancingmoonlight

Summary

Nayeon’s grandmother dying wish is to see her getting married before she passes away. She
acquiesces to her will and desperately asks her best friends, Momo and Jeongyeon to find a
suitable wife suitor for her.

What’s gonna happen when Im Nayeon, a lonely CEO who’s afraid of falling in love gets
into an arranged marriage with Myoui Mina, another rich-arrogant CEO known for her
womanizer reputation and cynical attitude towards romantic relationship?

Notes
See the end of the work for notes
 One

If there’s one thing in this life that Nayeon can’t quit, it’s nervous habits. Despite the relative
calm and ease she perceives herself to feel, surrounded by stacks of paperwork to sort
through with a looming deadline, her perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Her leg
bounces steadily beneath her hickory desk, brows pinched together as her hand breezes
across the contract papers she’s signing off on. If she knew becoming the CEO of her
mother’s company entailed so much tedious work, she would have been more than satisfied
with her previous position as Program Manager. Alias, perhaps her pursuit in distracting
herself from private affairs by drowning in her work was an overzealous attempt, cause here
she was—the Seoul skyline in full view, in an office built for a king and yet, her troubles still
plague her.

Detached as ever, Nayeon continues to breeze through her fair share of paperwork with the
occasional cramp in her hand before she’s forced to direct her attention elsewhere as her
assistant softly knocks three times on her door, letting herself in immediately.

“What brings you to my humble abode, Dahyun?” Nayeon questions, smirk shaping her lips.

Dahyun beams, porcelain skin glowing amidst the pretty pink blush that dusts upon her
cheeks and lips. Clutching a clipboard to her body, she adjusts her sleek thin-rimmed glasses
before speaking. “Sorry to interrupt you since you’ve been so busy lately...”

“Nonsense,” Nayeon is quick to dismiss her claim, waving a hand midair as she slouches
back into her chair, eyes locked on her assistant. “I needed a break from all that paperwork
anyways.”

Dahyun gives a polite chuckle in response, teeth gnawing into the flesh of her bottom lip, her
gaze darting around the room. “What’s going on?”

“It’s your father,” Dahyun cuts right to the chase, cueing the heavy eye roll from Nayeon. Of
course, he’s decided to make a scene when I’m busy, Nayeon thinks. “Despite our best
efforts, he’s filed a lawsuit claiming for compensation for our latest launch - says that he was
the one to come up with the origin idea and—“
Nayeon holds her hand up, Dahyun’s mouth closes. She sinks further into her office chair,
strained eyelids falling shut as Nayeon pinches the bridge of her nose. After the multitude of
failed business ventures and leaving her family to pick up the pieces, he was still as money
hungry as ever—burning green with envy at the empire Nayeon’s mother has managed to
build through her blood, sweat and tears.

Having watched the fallout from the sheer selfishness and negligence her father adopted
throughout the entirety of his marriage, Nayeon knows some things to be true. To never
depend on a man and that romance was dead. No matter what circumstances arose for
Nayeon beyond her life past her father, the idea of being with someone who treats you so
poorly all in the name of love was never appetising and once those promises of love and
infatuation came her way, she never had a taste for it. However, more casual relationships
catered to her palate and this became the story of her life— a few hook-ups here and there,
ever so scarcely a date but never romance, never love because that was dead to begin
anyways.

Nayeon sits up gently, collecting her thoughts with her as she rises from her seat, making her
way to the water dispenser in the corner of the minimalistic chic office. “Well, we all know
this is a ploy for him to get his hands on any money he can, so tell the legal team to get him
off my back. Last thing I need during this joint merger is this guy trying to make this
company or me look like a fool.”

Nayeon casts her eyes over to Dahyun, who scribbles something away down on her clipboard
and looks up with an affirmative nod. “Will do. Just thought I’d tell you before he ran to the
press.”

Cold water in hand, Nayeon takes a long sip of her beverage before she replies back to
Dahyun. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

In the bright morning sun beaming into Nayeon’s office, Dahyun smiles without much
faultier and Nayeon can now know ease without anticipating any more bad news. Bad news
that doesn’t deserve an ounce of her attention.

“Please make sure my mom doesn’t catch any wind of this, ok? She’s been through enough.”
Nayeon instructs with the soft raise of her eyebrows, the corner of her lips curving when
Dahyun nods in response.

“We’ve been friends for years, you know my lips are sealed.” is the last thing Dahyun says
before her kitten heels echo towards the exit, the door closing behind her and leaving Nayeon
to the silent murmur of a busy company building beyond her own space.

There’s a moment of silence before Nayeon utters a heavy sigh, carding her fingers through
her flowing chestnut hair. Cracking her knuckles, she sinks deeper into thought of the news
Dahyun unfortunately delivered, the low simmer of her blood making the urge to smoke
undeniable. She caves at some point, when pacing around doesn’t work as much as she hopes
and snatches her pack from her bottom drawer, dishing out shallow bows to every worker
who greets her with a smile and an upbeat hello. It’s only a short walk to the building rooftop
and by the time Nayeon feels her social battery on the verge of decline, the cool breeze
embraces her.

She catches an eyeful of the landscape of Seoul, the company’s building amidst other
company buildings that dazzle and stagger to heights that don’t compare to the one she stands
upon. Nayeon lets out a breath, lighter in hand as she opens the new pack, making sure to
stick one of the cigarettes upright out of a superstitious habit and lights another.

Even an act like this, her father manages to creep his way into—her thoughts clouded in past
memories of him performing the same actions with his own cigarette pack alongside the
looming thoughts of yet another lawsuit. A practice of his he’s attempted to master
throughout the years to no avail. A cry for attention, a shot at landing himself some money or
a desperate attempt to become a family again? Nayeon has no clue, nor does she want to. The
seasons have changed and life has continued as she knows it—Nayeon refuses to concern
herself with matters that linger in the past and knows at some point, much like all his
business ventures, he’ll give up and leave them alone to live the peaceful life her and her
mother were always meant to live. However, it would appear it would take longer than
expected.

Nayeon’s phone chimes, bringing her out of her thoughts. Blowing the last puff of her
cigarette between her lips, she reaches for her phone in her navy-blue blazer pocket,
discarding the bud as she scans over the top notification on her screen.

Miyeon
What are the chances you’re free today?

Nayeon

Depends. what do you have in store for me?

Miyeon

Well, i’ve ordered some lingerie and need a second opinion. What are my chances looking
like now? ;)

Arousal pumps her blood raw, Nayeon’s grip on her phone relentless as she punches back an
answer.

Nayeon

like i’m gonna rip that lingerie right off you.

meet me at 9pm, my place. don’t be late.

The chuckle that leaves Nayeon’s lips is effortless, amusement shaping the curve of her
glossed lips as she tucks her phone right back into her pocket with the promise of a more
fulfilling night ahead of her.

“Can you do the button up for me? I can’t reach it.” Miyeon’s voice sounds from the nearby
bathroom, the gentle pitter-patter of her feet following as she makes her way into the dimly lit
lounge in Nayeon’s highrise penthouse.

Nayeon sets her wine glass down next to the two empty red wine bottles herself and Miyeon
have gone through, occupying their time with idle conversations and few laughs along the
way. Eventually, when their bodies gravitate towards each other on the expanse of Nayeon’s
emerald green couch, Nayeon’s hands had a mind of their own. Trailing across the shape of
Miyeon’s jaw, hand of her exposed thigh, her lips ghosting over her neck— the alcohol was
rushing to her head and she was eager to see what Miyeon had in store for her. Miyeon’s
patience seemed to be nonexistent too, managing to pry herself off Nayeon to go put the
lingerie on.

Luckily for Nayeon, Miyeon makes fast work of getting herself into the set and saunters her
way back, cheeks flushed and curved carved to perfection. It’s a simple bodysuit - black, lace
with long sleeves with frills at the ends. But, it works wonders because there’s three keyhole
cutouts in the front, exposing the smooth landscape of her abdomen and providing a bold
amount of cleavage with flower designs mangled into the lace. Nayeon can’t stop staring, jaw
cemented to the floor as Miyeon grins smugly, turning her body to show the back which too
has a cutout and a button at the top that needs doing.

“If I knew you liked me all dressed up, I would have bought this sooner,” Miyeon remarks,
confidence oozing from her words as she casts the length of her hair from her nape to one
side of her shoulder, her back in full view. “Nayeon?”

Instantly, the tip of Nayeon’s finger dances down Miyeon’s spine, eliciting a shiver from the
gorgeous black haired doll who turns her head to give Nayeon a look. “I’m not buttoning this
up.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I’m gonna fuck you in this right now.”

Before Miyeon can even make sense of her words, Nayeon makes light work of moving her
onto the couch on all fours, her warm body pressed up against Miyeon’s as her lips
preoccupy themselves with kissing down her neck and playing with her nipples. The moans
that pour out of her red glossed lips are intoxicating and to feel Miyeon buckle beneath her
touch makes Nayeon push her body flush against her, grinding in rhythm as she ravages her
neck.

It isn’t long until Nayeon’s hand finds its way to Miyeon’s pussy, wet with her clit throbbing
for her touch. She grants this, stingy with wish as her fingertips just graze the bud to hear the
whimper blow past Miyeon’s lips and the buck of her hips.
“Want me to play with your pretty little clit, baby?” All Miyeon’s previous smugness has
shifted entirely to Nayeon, her smirk mischievous as she watches Miyeon nod pathetically,
whimpering some sound of agreement as she bucks her hips for more contact. “Oh, I’m
gonna do whatever I want to and you’re gonna let me, aren’t you?”

“Please,” Miyeon whines, bracing her forearms against the arm of the couch to use one hand
to scramble to find Nayeon’s. “Do something, please.”

“Ask me again.”

“Play with my dumb clit, please,” she begs, her hand clasped over Nayeon’s over the material
of her bodysuit. “I’ll be good, I’ll be so good.”

“Turn over,” Nayeon commands, placing a delicate peck against the raised skin of Miyeon’s
neck. “I wanna look at you when you come on my tongue.”

Mewling, Miyeon clambers to turn her body over, laying flush against the couch with her
pupils dilated and her hair dishevelled. They’d only dabble in some heavy petting and she
was already this worked up. Nayeon couldn’t get enough of it—an example of this being the
tenderness of her touch as Nayeon tucks a strand of Miyeon’s hair behind her ear before she
leans in to kiss her, wine on the tip of their tongues as their lips move in unison. It’s a sweet
treat, the innocence of their kiss to which is quickly overshadowed by Nayeon’s lips parting
and making their descent down Miyeon’s body, trailing kisses through the keyhole cutouts.

It isn’t long until Nayeon gets to where Miyeon needs her most, the wet spot against the
gusset of her bodysuit indicating so. To prolong her teasing even further, Nayeon places
kisses around her pussy, the closest she gets is pressing her lips against Miyeon’s own lips
with whines following afterwards. But, Nayeon’s patience wears thin and she’s eager to see
how quickly she can get Miyeon to come so she decides to start fingering her, managing to
have a portion of the bodysuit covering her clit as her mouth teased the bud through the
material.

“Fuck, Nayeon,” Miyeon mewls, squeezing hard down on her fingers as her body shifts
around on the couch. “Feels so good.”
“So dirty,” Nayeon remarks, her words vibrating against Miyeon’s clit to make her whine
high in her throat and jut forward, seeking more of the sensation. “So sensitive too.”

“You hear yourself?” Nayeon moves her fingers with more strength, the sound of Miyeon’s
slick bouncing off the walls as she wails in response. “I love how wet you get for me.”

“Only you, Nayeon–ahh,” she strains as Nayeon curls her fingers even further inside her,
hitting the spongy part that makes Miyeon see stars. “Fuck, only you make me feel this
good.”

“Don’t you forget it, pretty girl.” Nayeon pulls the rest of the bodysuit to the side, mouth
flush against Miyeon’s clit as her tongue swirls around the bud before she begins to work, her
fingers ever as persistent as they curl to the sounds of Miyeon’s drawn out moans.

Nayeon’s working her hardest to get Miyeon to climax, relishing in every tug of her hair and
jerk of her hips when Nayeon hits the spot that makes her toes curl. As anticipated, it isn’t
very long until the warm thighs burying Nayeon in Miyeon’s pussy begin to quiver, her
stuttered moans indicating she’s close. Nayeon is a woman possessed—deriving sole
enjoyment in every reaction Miyeon gives her and how that enjoyment has her leaking
through her own panties. With one last ditch effort, Nayeon moans deeply against Miyeon’s
clit as she feels her clench around her like a vice grip, thighs clamping down on her head as
Miyeon shoves her hips in Nayeon’s face, riding out her orgasm with a drawn out sigh.

Miyeon relaxes shortly after, arm shielding her eyes as her chest rises with laboured breaths.
Nayeon rises from her position on the couch, licking the come smeared all over her lips
before she licks the rest from her fingers, slouching on the opposite end of the couch to catch
her own breath.

Suddenly, the familiar ringtone designated for her mother pierces through the silence of the
penthouse, the fatigued film of alcohol clearing from Nayeon’s vision as she picks up the
phone on the coffee table nearby. “Hey, mom. What’s up?”

“Oh, Nayeon,” Sombreness pours through the phone, her tone alluding to all sorts of
travesties. “It’s your grandmother. She’s in the hospital.”
There’s something strange about leaving work so early, Mina thinks. Her work ethic
unmatched, it’s the norm for her to remain behind long after her co-workers leave with the
promise of drinking themselves silly before coming back the next day with the worst
hangovers known to man. Mina likes drinking as much as the next person, but her career
always comes first. There is nothing that can stand in the way of her pursuing her goals and
working her way to the top, as she has within the investment company that sings high praises
of her day-in and day-out.

It’s a solitary lifestyle, one she finds peace in but when she’s done enough work to push her
on the verge of retirement, she does exactly what she is doing now— leaving work early to
drink her weight in Soju and perhaps have a beautiful woman in her bed as midnight falls. It’s
a lifestyle she enjoys, the one where her life is solely about her with the brief addition of
another when her bedside toys won’t do. Charmed in the evening and discarded come
morning—a pattern she knows all too well, the same song and dance that leaves girls
disgruntled and her not giving it a second thought. Love was not her forte, such a concept
didn’t exist as far as she was concerned, so she squashed any idea of it through her one night
stands and lived her life that way until her current age of 26, successful and in no mood to
settle.

Her thin heels click with every step, her vision preoccupied with her dull phone screen
displaying details of the exclusive and quaint bar/nightclub she’s been meaning to visit ages
ago. Seems like a good time, she thinks as she scans over the lavish details of the
establishment that offers the best of both worlds— a dazzling dance floor the size of a
football field with bars stacked with various types of alcohol, as well as private booths/rooms
for their high-end clientele that Mina will assimilate herself to be. A promise for a good—

A shoulder bangs into her own, the unexpected contact not enough to knock Mina off her
feet, but to take a step back as her eyes burn with bewilderment, facial features screwed
together in annoyance. Before her, knocked to their ass, is one of her previous co-workers,
Miyeon. Apparently, the tightness of her grey pencil skirt and pin-thin heels couldn’t
accommodate for the collusion and here she was, office materials all over the floor and face
pinched in pain.

Mina’s eyes roll before she can even think what to do next.
“Watch where you’re going, Miyeon.” Mina’s tone, brash and pointed in nature, directs itself
to her previous co-worker, who stares daggers at her through her wispy lashes.

“Says you— you were the one attached to your phone.” she barks back, collecting her
assortment of office materials.

“And yet, you’re the one on the ground,” scoffs Mina, rolling her eyes once more with a
heavy puff. “Might I suggest new heels that won’t have you falling into the lap of every
manager or is that your forte?”

Miyeon's head whips towards Mina quicker than she can blink, facial features rigid as she
speaks through gritted teeth. “You don’t know shit about me. So, I suggest you go on with
your sad little life and make somebody other than yourself miserable.”

Mina doesn’t give her the satisfaction of a reply and instead exits the conversation, leaving
her to pick up her belongings as she stoops her way to her car in their office’s parking lot.
Her thoughts run the pace of 100 miles a second, but with her nails piercing into her palm,
she barely keeps it together before she’s in her car, chucking her items to the passenger’s seat
before she climbs in and closes the door.

Jaw rigged, Mina cracks it as the intensity of her anger burns beneath her flesh like a furnace.
There is not much in this world that works her up, that even makes her flinch but there’s
something about Miyeon and how she always pushes the envelope—doesn’t fold at her brash
and pointed words, but reflects her insecurities at her as if Miyeon was a mirror. It angers her,
the confrontation of it all, and she expels it—bawled fists banging against the chiffon leather
of her steering wheel and screams like a madman. A momentary lapse in her composure, and
it doesn’t last longer than a minute because with everything, she casts it to the side and it no
longer exists. In exchange, her persona is void of all raw emotion, tucking her scattered
strands of raven black hair behind her ear before she turns her car on and drives in silence.

Sometime later, when the dreaded encounter with Miyeon is nothing but a distant memory
and Mina has dolled herself up to the nines, she’s swivelling her hips and drunkenly giggling
with the girl dancing with her as she casts the odd glances at her friendship group. How this
came into being is that shortly after Mina arrived, she saw one of the prettiest girls her eyes
had ever laid on. Muted pastel blue hair, big brown eyes and pretty lips to match. She was
stunning in every sense of the word, and Mina wanted nothing more than to have her
underneath her, moaning her name. Alias, she was with a friend and seemed like the reserved
type, so the best course of action for Mina was not a bold approach and with the increasing
flow of alcohol in her system, this was the next best thing.

Befriend a group and end up inviting the gorgeous blue haired girl over for more ‘fun’ -
simple as that. And, Mina was already halfway there because by the time the upbeat 00s song
comes to an end, she’s being dragged by the very same girl she danced with over to one of
the more exclusive booths with a coffee table bombarded with stacks of cash, drinks and lines
of coke. Drugs were never her thing, no matter how much she was exposed to it through her
profession and when those at the table she now sits at offer it to her, she politely declines
before she settles into the maroon leather couch.

“Ningning, you always end up making so many pretty friends on nights out,” a tanned, curvy
girl sitting right across from Mina points out, her siren-like eyes locked on Mina as she picks
up her cocktail glass and sips without missing a blink. “Who’s this?”

“Mina,” a polite smile in greeting, sharing the crescent shape of her eyes all around the table
of men and women lost in whatever substances they were on. “Pleased to meet you all.”

“The pleasure’s all ours,” the same girl says, cocking her head to the side as she scans Mina
from head to toe, eyes lagging over Mina’s exposed skin. Mina knows this game all too well.
“Please - help yourself to whatever you like on the table. You’re our guest.”

“Thank you…?”

“Hwasa,” she smiles, teeth dazzling as she slides over a cobalt blue cocktail with the tips of
her long-manicured nails. “I recommend this drink, have some.”

Ningning was as sweet as could be, so Mina doesn’t suspect Hwasa’s advances no matter
how sketchy these kinds of scenes can be. However, before she can take a sip of the drink,
she’s interrupted.
“Guys, I met these really nice girls at the bar,” A blonde haired bombshell says, eyes
gleaming as she gestures over to the two girls beside her— one of which is the pastel blue
haired girl who gives a timid wave to the group. “Introduce yourselves!”

Her friend introduces herself as Yunjin? Mina isn’t particularly sure because all her attention
is on the girl standing not even a metre away from her, acrylic nails tucking her strands of
hair behind her ears as the shimmer in the corner of her eyes twinkles. Fucking delectable.

“I’m Sakura, nice to meet you.” She murmurs, timidity colouring her cheeks as her eyes
divert to her ginger friend who collapses on the other side of the booth, engaged in
conversation with the blonde that brought them over.

For a moment, panic’s written all over her face, frozen expression with wild eyes that scream
for her friend’s attention but to no avail. Luckily, Mina is there to notice and quickly steps in.

“Sakura, was it?” Her mouth curves at the side, Mina’s undivided attention on the stunning
woman before her. “Come on, have a seat. I don’t bite.”

They share a chuckle of amusement, the guarded walls of Sakura’s shyness beginning to
crumble as she takes a seat right beside Mina, a respectfully distance away that begins to
dissipate as the night goes on, the charm of Mina’s words and intoxicating scent gelling the
two together as they giggle and drink the night away.

“I need to go to the bathroom, I need to touch up my makeup,” Sakura articles, turning in her
seat to fully look towards Mina. “Would you mind coming with me?”

Mina grins, the hue of Sakura’s lip tint all too distracting. “Of course, let’s go Kkura.”

Giggles of excitement flow between the two, stumbling to their feet as they collect their
belongings and swiftly manoeuvre their way through the crowded bar space, Mina taking the
lead as she holds her hand out for Sakura and she takes it without hesitation. It feels nice to
hold her, to be close and feel her warmth. The thoughts of being closer to her are driving
wild, like an itch that cannot be scratched and when they find themselves in the nearest
bathroom, all to themselves, Mina is finding increasingly difficult not to go down on her right
then and there.

Pretty as ever, Sakura sifts through her shoulder bag and reapplies her mascara, focused on
the task at hand as Mina takes the opportunity to admire her latest muse.

“Quit staring!” Sakura hollers, sparing a glance at Mina through the mirror. “You’ve been
doing that all night.”

Mina rests her hand against the spotless basin, crossing one foot over the other as she tilts her
head to the side. “Can’t blame me. You’re very beautiful.”

Sakura spares her another glance. “I forget how direct you are.”

“Well, when you want something, it’s better to be cut to the chase, no?” It's a rhetorical
question, laced with pure desire and surely Sakura must catch on now because she pauses her
movement with her mouth agape.

“Want something?” is all she can muster, croaking in the process.

Now is her chance; in for the kill. Mina peels herself off the basin, unwrapping her legs as
she struts over to Sakura, slow and steady as she simply watches through the mirror. When
Mina’s close enough, the familiar scent of Sakura’s cherry shampoo wafting towards her, she
extends her hand out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear with a low chuckle,
watching the shiver run down Sakura’s spine.

“Yeah, like how I want you.” it’s just above a whisper, audible enough over the subdued
sounds of thumping music beyond the bathroom walls.

Her body’s still not turned in Mina’s direction, but that is no indicator as to how she feels
about Mina. Her chest rises deeply and she’s still looking at her through the corner of her eye
- her lips tremble and that’s when Mina knows. Knows she wants it just as bad as she does.
“Tell me, Kura-chan,” Mina inches closer, her lips mere millimetres away from her ears as
Mina’s index finger hangs on the belt loop of Sakura’s denim skirt. “How badly do you want
me, huh? How much do you want me to give you more?”

“Fuck,” her eyelids fall shut and she shoves her tube of mascara in her bag, hands gripping
the basin as she hangs in her head in defeat. “Really bad.”

“How bad?” Mina gets a kick out of this, circling behind Sakura as she places her large hands
over her clothed torso, thumbs slowly caressing Sakura’s exposed side-bob.

She whimpers in response, knuckles white. “I don’t think I heard you.”

Sakura arches her back, pushing her ass back until herself and Mina are flush against each
other, engulfed in each other’s presence as the tension between them reaches its boiling point.
“So fucking bad.”

Mina’s lips meet the skin of Sakura’s neck, burning for her as she cocks her head to allow her
more space as Mina looks back into the mirror and locks eyes with Sakura. Then, she gives
her neck a slow and drawn out lick as she cups her tits, thumbs running over the hardened
buds.

“Letting me touch you like this knowing someone could come in at any moment,” Mina
mumbles against Sakura’s neck, hands trailing painfully slow down towards the end of
Sakura’s short skirt. “Bet that makes you so fucking wet.”

Sakura mewls, eyes shut as the sound that escapes her grows in octaves as Mina’s hand goes
under her skirt and her fingers graze against the material of her underwear. “Are you wearing
crotchless panties?”

Sakura looks away from their reflection, the flush against her cheeks deepening as Mina
plunges her fingers through the opening where she’s met with the pool of Sakura’s slick.
“You’re so nasty. Wet too.”
“Mina,” she calls, full of desperation and desire as she peers at their reflection through lustful
eyes. “Let’s fuck, please.”

Hook, line and sinker. Flustered and at her beckon call - just how she likes them. “Don’t have
to ask me twice, princess.”

Like clockwork, Mina’s night unfolds in the company of a beautiful stranger—kissing her
like she holds all the promises in the world and treating her as if she’s heaven scent. It’s
everything Sakura could ever hope for, the sheer burning desire that burns her skin aflame,
none the wiser she is just one of many who frequent Mina’s nightfallen bedroom.
 Two

It’s a soft scent that awakens Mina from her slumber. It’s faint, but wholly identifiable -
pancakes. Through the lazy film sealing her eyes shut, her lips lift at the comforting smile as
she shifts in her cosy bed, stretching ever so slightly onto her right to find-

Vacant.

The side of the bed is vacant. She shoots up, eyes wide open and shockingly wide awake.
Wearing a deep scowl, she squints at the ruffled empty side beside her and finally connects
the dots. Sakura, the enigma that set her heart ablaze in the shadows of the night, has become
the bane of her existence. Serving up some fantasy of profound love and tenderness in the
form of a warm breakfast. The thought of it all makes Mina hang her head, mumbling curses
underneath her breath as she mulls over her actions last night. Perhaps Mina had been…
overzealous, for a lack of better words. Her desperate pursuit for Sakura unlocked promises
she knows she cannot keep, but let slip from her lips anyways. In her poor defence, it had
been a while since she had slept with anyone else and as much as she hates to admit it,
Miyeon’s words left a lasting impression. Usually, Mina wouldn’t bat as much as an eyelash
at her, but this time was different. Her mental fortitude was different, wavering in her
personal opinion, and Miyeon’s statement was the domino effect.

Mina never thought of her life as a misery. Climbing the corporate ladder, plagued with rife
misogyny and constant discredit for her hard work, was no easy task, and yet she did so,
undoubtedly taking pride in her resilience and the simple life she’s made for herself. But,
nothing comes easy in this life and even when she’s achieved the stability she’s yet to know,
her mind wanders; trails back to past memories shrouded in gloomy skies and thunderstorms,
of broken glass and yelling through the night. Nothing is ever as distinct as the smell of cheap
cigarettes, in Mina’s mind. Instinctively, her hand is drawn towards her inner thigh, the
uneven skin serving as nothing but a bad memory.

Mina sighs. Perhaps she hadn’t outgrown the abuse she suffered from, but that was an issue
for another time as she pulls herself out of bed, slipping on random items of clothing before
padding over to her kitchen.

“You’re just in time!” Sakura beams, upper body claude in one of Mina’s t-shirts as she
places a dish full of breakfast on the counter. “I made-”
“What is this?” Mina cuts her off, tone brash and abrasive as her arms cross over her chest.

Her foul mood is detected from a mile away, reducing Sakura to a mere shell of herself as her
lips fall shut and her eyes widen slightly. This is not the woman that was all over her last
night. And, maybe she was foolish enough to believe her too.

“I-I ran out to get some blueberries to make pancakes - I thought we could..uhm, have some
breakfast together.” Sakura manages to croak out, eliciting a sigh from Mina that sings all her
songs of reluctance and regret.

Despite however it may seem, Mina isn’t a total asshole and recognizes that she’s sold Sakura
an unfinished book of their possible romance, to which she does not dabble in whatsoever.
Again, it’s Mina’s fault for giving Sakura any indication that she wanted more than a casual
hook-up, so she attempts to convey said sentiment in a polite manner.

“As much as I appreciate the breakfast, I’m actually allergic to blueberries,” Mina confesses,
ducking her head as her hair falls to her face to avoid the view of disappointment radiating
from Sakura. “And, I’ve gotta get ready. Need to head into the office.”

A beat of silence follows. “It’s a Saturday.”

“The stock market waits for no-one. Not even when it’s closed,” Mina raises her head,
capturing an eyeful of Sakura’s tear-rimmed eyes and flaring nostrils. “I’m sorry. I think I got
off on the wrong foot here,”

Mina goes to explain herself more, more than she normally delegates herself to do, scratching
the back of her neck as the unbearable weight of awkwardness gnaws at her skin. Sakura
beats her to it. “I should have known.”

Mina shuts her eyes, anticipating the fallout of their one-night romance. “People say and do
anything just so they can fuck you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, because I thought you
were better than that. Clearly, I was mistaken.”
Sakura’s chest is rising rapidly, fists bawled at her sides and stare intent when Mina dares to
cast her a look. They lock eyes and Mina lets herself be burned by the wrath of Sakura’s fire.
Her hand nudges the plate full of pancakes Mina’s way, the plate just barely hanging off the
edge of the counter that Mina sprints towards. She manages to get there in time to nudge the
plate back securely on all surfaces, not missing the forceful jab against her shoulder as
Sakura breezes past her. “Have a nice fucking day, Mina.”

And with that, yet another woman leaves Mina’s apartment with tear-filled eyed and cursing
at the world, falling into Mina’s venus trap of lies.

Nayeon doesn’t remember much about the drive from her place to the hospital. It’s just one
sick, miserable blur. She’s not even sure she has all her belongings before she’s out the door,
racing down the roads like some madman. Fuck, she’s not even sure she said anything to
Miyeon, she might have even left the girl back at her place without so much as a word. She
doesn’t know and can’t bring herself to care really, because this is throwing her off, tilting her
axis and bringing her to the edge of doom.

Through the turbulence of her parents’ rocky marriage, her grandmother was one of the very
few havens shining bright in her young life. The world’s weight evaporated every time she
made the journey to her grandmother’s place in the nearby countryside, and in those moments
when through her choppy bangs, she spied her grandmother waving with the kilowatt smile,
everything felt fine again. Stable. The security and warmth of it all - Nayeon couldn’t resist
wanting it all for herself, always and all the time.

So many of her happiest memories are with her grandmother - learning the ins and outs of
farm life and what owning a rice farm entailed, eating fresh watermelons from the farmers
market in town on a hot summer's day, curling up together on cold winter nights with warm
soup in her belly - those were all so precious to Nayeon and to her grandmother, too. When
times got tough, Nayeon and sometimes her mother would stay with her grandma for various
lengths of time and when the dreaded time came for them to make their way back to their
loveless house, Nayeon was unrecognisable. Drained of merriment as she allowed herself to
be taken back, because of all the times before. All the times she’d scream, cry and scramble
to hold onto any part of her grandmother as her mother gently tugged her back, face mangled
in pain as she hears her child’s cries. It was never easy, Nayeon came to realise, the life she
lived, but also the life her own mother lived and to think, for them both, her grandmother was
their getaway from the world - a safe haven for everything good and beautiful with this
world.
And now, she’s barely here. Hanging onto life by a thread and it hurts like ever before.
Scrapes at her chest with razor sharp claws and burns her chest body to charcoal ashes -
brims her eyes with tears and it’s a goddamn miracle Nayeon in her state manages to not only
get to the hospital, but park before she takes a moment to compose herself.

Or to fall apart, she isn’t sure anymore because the longer she sits in the silence of her car,
heavy rain bouncing off her car, the louder the quiet is and the whiter her knuckles burn as
she desperately grasps onto the wheel of her car. She lets out a ragged breath, choking down a
sob and hastily wiping her tear stained cheeks before she emerges from her car and storms off
into the hospital for more answers.

Padding around in rained-on clothing, Nayeon tries to find her way through the maze that is
the Seoul University hospital, breath shallow as she scours the endless white hallways for
some sign of familiarity. Breezing past sickly patients and nervous family members, she
recognizes the vague silhouette of her mother standing outside a door at the end of the
hallway. It takes her no time to reach her.

“Oh, Nayeon! I’m glad you’re here,” Her mother coos, her manicured hands reaching for
Nayeon’s own cold ones. “Oh, baby. You got caught up in the rain? Did you not have an
umbrella?”

“How’s grandma doing?” is the first thing that leaves Nayeon’s lips, rushed and out of breath.
She tucks her damp fringe out of her eye line, desperately searching for answers in her
mother’s response.

Crestfallen is what Nayeon can describe her mother to appear, the wobble of her thin lips and
far away gaze not missed by Nayeon as she musters up whatever words she has to speak.
“Grandma, she’s…it’s her heart again. She suffered from a stroke because of the defect.”

Nayeon can’t believe her ears. “I thought her surgery was meant to prevent or at least fix all
of this.”

Again, her mother sighs and amidst the murmur of the busy hospital, nurses brisk walking
past the two, Nayeon takes in how much the conversation has aged her mother who seems
drained of all life too. “It was one of the side effects from her surgery.Your grandma - she’s
not as young as you are, there are more complications having intense surgeries like this.”

Nayeon’s fingers seek refuge in her hair, clinging to her scalp as she tugs the strands of
frustration, baring her frustration because she feels so powerless. If it was up to her, she
would play God and save her grandmother from every bit of hell she’s experienced with this
heart of hers, just as her grandmother has done for her. However, there is only so much
Nayeon can do, offer her with a ‘reassuring’ smile on her face because this is not about how
she feels about the subject, it’s about showing her support and reminding her grandmother
that she is still here with her granddaughter and will continue to do so for as long as she can
possible hang on. Nayeon thinks this, but curveballs come fast at her and with this being her
latest and greater curveball, she’s unsure where to go from here, or whether to keep going or
not.

“W-what’s gonna happen now?” There's a thick, insufferable ball lodged in Nayeon’s throat
as she manages to croak out this question and when she does, her chest feels as if it's about to
cave in. “We just-this was supposed to fix everything.”

“Oh, my Nayeonnie,” her mother coos, facial expression drooping as she leans forwards,
capturing Nayeon’s cheeks in her hands as she presses a comforting kiss against her
daughter’s forehead, shortly followed by a stray tear that trails down her face. She wipes it
away just as fast. “I know this is hard, this is for me too, but this isn’t the end, ok? We always
have options, your grandma always has options and we’ll make sure at the end of this, she’ll
be fine, you hear me?”

Nayeon nods, head still held in the grasp of her mother, the feeling eerily placing her back all
those years ago during her childhood - none the wiser and afraid. “I hear you.”

“Good. Let’s head inside, your grandma’s excited to see you.” With a reassuring small smile,
her thumbs caress her daughter’s plump cheeks before she leads Nayeon into the hospital
room her grandmother occupies.

With their immediate family’s newly found fortune, the room that Nayeon’s grandmother lies
cosily in is rather lavious with its own miniature living room with a cream leather couch and
TV, alongside the hospital bed further towards the end of the room. Draped in shadows of the
dark hospital room is none other than Nayeon’s grandmother, Im Mikhyung - sunshine
personified. Her vast life experience etches their way into her wrinkly skin, freckles dotted as
if they were constellations whilst her grey curls dare to peek through the bandana placed over
her head. As the two steps into the room, her eyes flutter gradually, blinking the tiredness
away as she turns her head and breaks out into a smile.

“There she is,” Mikhyung extends her arms, frail and scrawny as her IV drips litter her arms.
“My beautiful Yeonie.”

The ball that curls up in Nayeon’s throat is nearly impossible to swallow, tears welling in her
eyes that she wills herself with everything she's got to not spill over, sinking her canines into
her bottom lip as she gives a tight-lipped smile. She gulps down her grief, pushing away the
disastrous thoughts that come and go through her mind at the state of her grandmother and
approaches her, holding her in her arms with all the love she could possibly muster.

“I’m glad you’re ok, nana,” A sniff escapes Nayeon as she embraces her grandmother, only
letting go when she thinks she’s mentally prepared to continue their conversation. “You still
owe me that breakfast.”

A hearty laugh threatens to leave her grandma’s lips, eyes shaping into moon crescents as the
laugh slips out of her momentarily, all before its cut short due to the wheeze and heavy cough
that follow. Nayeon goes in to somehow help her grandmother, but she puts out a gentle hand
as the cough subsides and her expression changes from pained to relaxed.

“You’re right,” she smiles, laying back against her bed. “I still haven’t followed through with
that. Better tell that to the doctor, maybe that’ll convince him I can leave this place.”

“Oh, nana,” Nayeon settles into a chair by her grandmother’s side, her hand finding wrinkled
hand. “They’re just making sure you’re doing ok. You’ll be outta here and on your feet in no
time.”

“I want to believe that, kiddo. I really do,” her grandmother’s thumb caresses her hand and
upon hearing her words, Nayeon restrains herself from gripping her hand out of frustration
and desperation. “And, you and I both know that there’s nothing I can’t do, but at the same
time…beyond five years, I feel like, is asking for a lot.”
Nayeon has always known this to be true. Ever since her grandmother had been experiencing
other health-related issues, which were then linked to the discovery of her heart valve
disease. She spent hours upon hours roaming the internet for any credible mode of
information to learn about it and what was to come, because she wants to be prepared - even
though she is more than aware that when the time comes, Nayeon will still implode
regardless. Nevertheless, she knew - her grandmother was given five years and not many, if
any people, made it beyond those years. A hard truth to acknowledge.

“You’re such a beautiful girl - inside and out,” her grandmother comments, her eyes scanning
over her granddaughter’s features in sheer admiration before she gives a fond smile. “I hope
to see the day someone recognizes your radiance and loves you just as much as I do.”

It hurts. It hurts so bad because this is such a vulnerable moment, a moment of raw emotion
and cherished words. Nayeon may have anticipated something like this, but even when she
imagined an extent that further exceeds this, nothing can compare to the harsh realities of
this. Of holding the weak hand of your grandmother as her hope for life slowly but surely
diminishes with every trip she makes to the hospital. Nayeon doesn’t want to give up any
hope, for her grandmother’s sake and for her own. The importance she has on Nayeon’s life
will never diminish, and as such, she wants to honour her grandmother any way she can. But,
love? The soul-consuming whirlwind that leaves someone so exposed to loss, danger and
heartbreak? To have what her parents once had? Nayeon isn’t sure where her head may be
with that.

“One day, nana,” Nayeon bewails, lips pressed together as a cry demands to escape her lips.
“Maybe, one day.”

It’s not a promise, a mere possibility that she expresses to her grandmother as she hums in
satisfaction and beckons for her to come closer. So, in the dimmed warm lights of the hospital
suite, they lay together, Nayeon’s head against her grandmother’s chest as she retells stories
from long ago with the patter of her heartbeat keeping Nayeon from falling fast asleep.

When Nayeon returns to her penthouse after her hospital visit hours later, she is nothing but a
shell of herself. Puffy eyes and dull skin, a mere zombie dragging itself body weight through
her building’s parking lot all the way up the elevator to where she finally scrambles for her
keys and opens the door. The echoes of laughter catch her off guard, familiar in sound as the
bounce off the walls of her living room up ahead.
Nayeon’s eyebrows furrow. “Momo?”

“Shit!” is all Nayeon hears following the frantic sounds of scrambling, various footsteps
thumping against the floor as Nayeon absently slips off her shoes and tucks them away at the
doorway entrance, padding further into her living space with cautious footsteps.

Around the corner from where Nayeon first heard the chorus of laughter, out comes the
silhouettes of two of her closest friends, Jeongyeon and Momo, both adorned in casual wear
and standing like mischief children before her. Hands behind their back and eyes averted.

“What’s going on here?” asks Nayeon, loosening the tie secured around her neck.

Jeongyeon speaks first. “We heard about your grandmother.”

Nayeon’s eyes fall closed. Of course, they heard the news. As much as the three friends have
known each other the majority of their lives, Nayeon still finds it hard to disclose matters so
close to home. She was going to say something - in due time, when she had the time to get
out of her work clothes and start to process the whirlwind the last few hours have been.
However, she cannot ignore that whatever her perceptions may be, her friends are here right
with her - in the early hours of the morning, for what seems to be an attempt at support,
which Nayeon can’t get enough of at this point.

“We ordered from your favourite sushi place,” Momo pipes up, a soft smile playing against
her lips. “Special delivery, with the addition of wine and some good company.”

Nayeon’s heart swells with a tender heaviness at their sickening generosity, eyes looking
between the two best friends she couldn’t have wished upon a star for. “I wouldn’t be too sure
about that last part.”

Jeongyeon is first to make contact, circling Nayeon in her grasp as she brings her head
underneath her armpit and messes up the top of her head. “You love us.”
The laugh that bubbles out of Nayeon is raw and real, an action that once felt fleeting those
mere hours ago when she drove like a madman just to see if her grandmother was still with us
on the planet. It’s only these two that can bring out something so childlike in Nayeon.
“Wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

When Jeongyeon lets go and allows for Nayeon to stand tall, Momo observes the two with
fondness dazzling in her eyes, proceeding to hook her arm with Nayeon’s as the trio make
their way into the living room. “Come on, we have a platter to finish and memories to cringe
over.”

As they trudge into the living room, warmth envelopes her growing heart as she spies just
how much effort her best friends have put into showing up for her. With the main light
dimmed, candles scented with vanilla light all around the living room, an organized spread of
sushi and pristine wine glasses on the coffee table amongst bottles of the finest wine Seoul
has to offer. On the TV, is one of Nayeon’s favourite dramas currently airing and to top it all
off, there is a fresh bouquet of orchids - her colour, her favourite flower.

“You guys trying to make me cry or what?” Nayeon sniffs as she approaches the bouquet on
the coffee table, fingertips gingerly tracing along the petals of the orchid.

“Your last bouquet was wilting last time I came round, we just didn’t want you attracting
bugs that would dance in the sushi.” Momo jokes as her and Jeongyeon collapse onto the
couch behind her.

Nayeon knows better. Though not expressed explicitly through words, Nayeon knows their
effort and attention to detail shines through time and time again, especially now. If this is
what love is like, she thinks she may give it a go because the comfort to which blankets her is
so soft and secure and she wants to be here forever - with those she loves and nothing more.

“So you say,” Nayeon smiles, collapsing onto the couch in between her best friends before
she pops a single serving of sushi in her mouth. “Where’s the remote? I’m dying to watch the
latest episode.”

“Up your ass, to the left?” Jeongyeon jokes, easily producing the remote as she presses play
on the drama. Nayeon playful nudges her with her shoulder, leaning forwards as she grabs a
generous serving of sushi for herself before she quietly enjoys the presence of her friends.
The night progresses like this, simply enjoying each other’s company before Momo starts re-
filling their wine glasses and before they know it, they’re tipsy and laughing over every past
memory they share together. It’s simple and it’s sweet, remembering how good life can be
even when it doesn’t currently feel that way and it’s then that Nayeon decides that, with all
the effort her friends have put in for her, the least she can do is inform them about how her
grandmother is doing.

“My grandma,” Nayeon starts, not being able to stop herself because despite the fact that
she’s really enjoyed her time with her best friends, this is something she has to get off her
chest. “She’s, uhm…her surgery those weeks ago has been hard on her, it seems. She suffered
from a stroke.”

No words are exchanged and there’s a hush that carries over the lounge that makes Nayeon
feel small, as if she perhaps shouldn’t have been so forthcoming with such heavy information
considering the light, airy atmosphere. However, when she feels a firm hand caress her back
and Momo leans into her, her fingernails dig into her palm so she doesn’t let her tears fall.

“The doctors are gonna keep an eye out for her for the next week or so, and I guess from that,
they’ll discuss their plans moving forwards. But,” the heaviest of sighs blows past Nayeon’s
lips, gulping down a good chunk of wine from the ball in her grasp. “She said it’s been...it’s
been hard for her and she’s…unsure whether she can hang on much longer.”

Tears fall, silent and undramatic in fashion. “She’s been so selfless, I only know her as such
and for her to speak of her dreams of seeing me married one day, I-I feel like it’s the least I
can do.”

Nayeon lies her head down onto Jeongyeon’s shoulder, letting the tears fall. Her friends
cradle her and hold her as she cries her weak heart out. It’s as if the faucet has been opened
and for the first time in a while, she’s letting everything out. A combination of everything -
the stress of work, the anguish of her strained relationship with her father, everything that
weighs her down - is all released, and she lets it wash over her until she’s a well that’s run
dry.
“Nayeonnie,” Momo calls, soft and delicate in tone. “I can’t even imagine how much you’re
going through right now.”

“Yeah, your grandmother is such a lovely person and it’s heartbreaking to hear you like this,”
Jeongyeon adds, caressing down the side of Nayeon’s head. “As uncertain as things may
seem now, what will never change is the fact that we’ve got your back. Forever and always.”

“Absolutely,” Momo agrees in a heartbeat. “There is never a matter in this world that you
can’t come to us about and whatever it may be, we’ll be there with you. Every step of the
way, because we love you and care for you.”

“Heck, we’ll even find you a partner that your grandmother can’t help but fall in love with,”
Jeongyeon proclaims, eliciting a laugh from Nayeon who feels as if she has finally laughed in
what seems like forever. “There’s not a thing we wouldn’t do for you.”

“Thank you, guys,” says Nayeon, with all the sincerity she has to offer. “It feels good to talk
about things like this.”

“I bet it does, Nasoongie,” Momo jokingly bumps her shoulder into Nayeon’s own, flashing
her a comforting smile as she rocks back into her place on the couch. “Now, about finding
you a partner…”

Nayeon brings herself to sit upwards, groaning the process at the idea of finding a partner, a
reaction that amuses her best friends who chuckle beside her. “Hit me with your best shot.”

“Maybe after a bit more alcohol,” Momo winks, leaning forwards as she grabs the sealed
bottle of Soju from the hickory wooden coffee table and pours a god-awful amount in both of
her friends’ wine glasses. They shudder instantly. “But, I think if you’re not ready or not
really fully committed to having a partner, then maybe there are better alternatives.”

“Perhaps,” Nayeon muses, flashing a small grateful smile as Momo hands her her wine glass.
“Maybe there is some happy medium that would appease both myself and my nana. I mean, I
didn’t have the heart to tell her that a full-blown relationship wasn’t something I was or am
interested in. But, I mean, people have married for worse reasons, so what’s the harm in my
case?’
“Marriage?” Jeongyeon echoes, her face scrunching up entirely as she somehow manages to
gulp down a fairly generous double shot of Soju. “You’d get married?”

Nayeon’s shoulders sag and her head tilts. “Nana mentioned how beautiful a wedding dress
would look on me. So, I guess it would be something I’d be open to.”

“Fucking hell,” Momo giggles, wiping out her phone as she hurriedly scrolls to the Pinterest
app. “Well, let’s start getting some ideas from Pinterest, yeah? Ease ourselves into this
alternate reality.”

Their booming laughs follow and for the next hour, they spend their time drinking stupid
amounts of alcohol and creating a shared Pinterest board ironically titled, ‘Nayeon’s long-
awaited day.’ By the time they’ve saved around 100 photos, they’re pretty much smashed.

“Marriage of convenience, is all it is,” Nayeon slurs, raising her cold hands to her flushed
cheeks to elevate the heat that radiates from them. “I still have my fun, they have their fun
and my grandmother is happy - that’s all that matters.”

Momo gasps, slapping a hand over her mouth as she springs into a short burst of energy,
hastily grabbing her phone before she shoves the object in Nayeon’s face. “She’s the one.”

Overwhelmed by the brightness of the object, Nayeon pushes it back and blinks away the
burn of her eyes, the image projecting on the phone coming into full view. On the screen is
what Nayeon can only describe as the most beautiful woman she’s ever laid her eyes upon.
The elegance and sheer beauty she captures in every inch of her features is effortless and
devastating all at once. If she is what marriage entails, then perhaps Nayeon would have an
easier time with the arrangement.

“Marry her?” Nayeon questions, huffing with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “What
makes you think she’d agree to something like that?”

Momo retrieves her phone and taps an enthused message to which Nayeon assumes to be the
girl in the picture. “I’ve known Mina for years and she likes to have her fun too. Last time we
talked, she told me her mother was on her case to start looking into marriage. See? Mutually
beneficial.”
Nayeon pouts. “I’m not sure that’s-”

“Well, I’ve already texted her about it, so we’ll see what she says,” Momo simply smiles,
placing her phone down on the coffee table before picking up a handful of grapes they
retrieved from the fridge earlier. “Who’s ready for another episode of Bloodhounds?”

The laughter that booms from Jeongyeon is highly amused and as much as Nayeon wants to
laugh at the ridiculousness of their situation, an array of emotions stir within her as she starts
to seriously consider the reality of her situation. A world where her time is split between
maintaining an image for the happiness of her grandmother and living her truth. The
circumstances of marrying a beautiful woman and what possibilities that would entail,
whether it would open the door to something more or would her romantic life be nothing but
casual as the years went by. It’s a lot of information to process and when Nayeon looks over
at the ceiling length windows behind the couch they occupy, spying the emergence of the
morning sunrise - she takes that as a sign to think about it when she’s not so sleep deprived.

Besides, who would agree to a fake marriage, anyways?

 Three
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

“I gave you the benefit of the doubt, because I thought you were better than that. Clearly, I
was mistaken.”

“So, I suggest you go on with your sad little life and make somebody other than yourself
miserable.”

There isn’t much that prevents Mina from having a restless night, her workload long
forgotten once her head hits the pillow. Even when her thoughts run wild and her eyes burn
red, a few tips and tricks have her dozing off into a slumber that embraces her with all the
warmth her heart desires. However, ever since her interaction with Miyeon and Sakura, she’s
tossed and turned at ugly thoughts of herself, attempting to dismiss them with the flutter of
her eyelids but alas, her thoughts never stop and bleed into her fatigue as she carries herself
out of bed the next morning.

It’s not as if this had been the first time someone hurtled rude comments her way. Her life had
been a testament in withstanding nasty insults and misplaced anger, all coming from those
who grew green with envy at her success and her nonchalant-attitude in the wake of their
wrath. For as long as she could remember, she’d bury herself in whatever she excelled at,
whether it was academics, sports and other extracurricular activities - her light shined
brighter than ever when challenged and others, in her opinion, couldn’t handle it. Not only
did Mina excel in what seemed to be everything, but she came from a wealthy background
with her parents serving as the base of the elite social circles of Seoul.

With this came a life permeated with loneliness, the envy too much for others to bare and as
everyone began to turn their backs towards Mina, so did she to them—finding solitude within
her own company, leaving the door slightly ajar for a night of fun because who would she be
if she’d deny herself some fun? And, so this was her destiny—a life full of her family's riches
and her own hard-earned success, a workaholic at best and smooth operative at worst, empty
promises following closely behind her. It’s a lifestyle that suits her, one she does not care to
stray away from, but with her mother continuously yammering on about finding a partner and
settling down, particularly with someone who could accompany her to her parent’s annual
gala—it proves to be a point of contest she doesn’t have the patience for.
Perhaps, this is it. A lack of patience, the stresses of her daily life that have driven her to this
point—the beginnings of self consciousness nipping at her skin for the first time in her life. A
reflection that shows something Mina has always known never to be true, but with such
words thrown in such quick succession—maybe, there’s some truth to it? Maybe, Mina is the
miserable being people perceive her to be, one with ill intentions and a lacklustre life to
match. But then again, if she had been that insufferable, her friendship with Sunmi wouldn’t
have come into being. Some warmth kindles in Mina’s heart at the thought of Sunmi and
how, for the first time in a while, she came to feel what true companionship felt like before
goosebumps riddle her skin, memories tainted black and blue.

Mina closes whatever serpent runs rampant throughout the corners of her mind, continuing
on with her morning routine as she slips on her running shoes and runs along the Han River,
grabbing a shower with breakfast made before she decides to check her notifications. A
playful eye roll comes at the sight of Momo’s text messages, the content eliciting the kind of
laughter Mina feels in her stomach as her mind tries to think of the chances of Momo
proposing an eligible bachelor for her parent’s gala.

momo: you said you wanted a date for your parent’s gala? turns out someone’s in the same
position as you. her name is nayeon, you two should meet :)

Mina’s thumb swipes across the screen, opening up the series of photos Momo’s sent over
and immediately stops in her tracks. Mina struggles to find the words, struggles to gain
control as her skin tingles all over and her mouth dries up like a desert. Over the course of
Mina’s late time activities, she’s had the pleasure of laying her eyes upon beautiful gems that
she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into, but this is something completely out of her scope. A
charming beauty, an entanglement of beauty and sophistication that Mina can’t quite wrap her
head around. Nayeon is pretty in every sense of the words—youth bundled up in the apples
of her cheeks and bunny smile that dazzle like the lights in Hollywood, her chestnut eyes
hold nothing but a syrupy kindness that’s one of a kind and again, Mina is at a loss of words.
For the reason that Nayeon is something she’s ever seen and her brain that works non-stop
can’t conceptualise the idea that she’s never come across someone like her.

This is the attraction that Mina is well-versed in, the tell tales of a swirling stomach and
dramatic heartbeat all apparent with the addition of something new. Something foreign and
unlike anything she's ever experienced. The idea of something she hasn’t got a grasp at
makes her frown, resorting to push away any ideas of her undeniable attraction to Nayeon
altogether as she reads the next text from Momo, her long-time friend.

momo: i made a reservation at the brunch club, 12:30pm. don’t be late, hehe.
Mina huffs, ever amused by the antics Momo— time and time again— happens to rope her
into, not that she minds half the time. However, this time differentiates itself from others, an
enigma that is Nayeon, one poses more questions than answers. Good thing Mina knows
where to start.

mina: thanks for covering lunch :]

Perhaps Nayeon had indulged in more wine than her body could handle, maybe going to bed
at 5 am wasn’t her brightest idea yet but yesterday had been a long damn day — a never
ending cycle of work followed quickly by the bitter news of her grandmother. After all was
said and done, returning back to her apartment to find caring friends who came bearing gifts
and compassion the size of the universe, Nayeon couldn’t fault herself in the slightest. Even
if that made for an insufferable day at work come morning.

Despite her day’s difficulties, drinking her weight in water the night (morning) before work
helped in a lot of ways, fending off the usual bouts of nausea and disorientation that plagued
her hangovers, resulting in her with a small knot in her stomach and a migraine that was
gradually disappearing throughout the day. Coming back from her latest meeting, Nayeon
ambles back into her windowed office, heaving out a heavy sigh as she collapses onto her
crisp onyx black leather office chair and leans back, only bringing herself to sit upwards
when her mouth mirrored the Sara desert.

As she takes a well needed gulp of water, three familiar knocks echo against the wooden slab
of her door. Following the knocks, the door opens and in comes Dahyun, no button nor strand
of hair out of place with a comforting closed mouth smile that Nayeon can’t help but mirror
once she sets her empty glass onto her desk.

“It’s almost lunchtime, what are you doing here?” quizzes Nayeon, rearranging the
documents on her cluttered desk.

“An arrangement popped up whilst you were in your last meeting.” Dahyun informs, swiping
away at the bright screen of her iPad as her long nails scrape against the surface.
Nayeon cocks a curious eyebrow, pout settled into her pink lips. “An arrangement?”

“Yes, Momo informed me that you’d be having lunch with Ms. Myoui this afternoon at the
Brunch Club.”

Ms. Myoui? Now, why did the surname sound familiar? Perhaps, it was a business associate?
Then again, what business would Momo have in setting up a meeting with one, unless…

It’s as if Nayeon had been doused in ice cold water, realisation hitting her like a tonne of
bricks as flashes of her wine-tinted night remerge with more clarity, a vague memory of
Momo sending a text to Mina about Nayeon’s fake-marriage debacle. In the moment, the
proposal of such an absurd idea was nothing but comical, but with rationality rears its head as
alcohol no longer courses through Nayeon’s bloodstream, awkwardness weighs her shoulders
down as if it were anchors. From her blurry memory, Nayeon could only make out that there
was a rare beauty about Mina, in the way double rainbows and sun halos are. A combination
of circumstances that give birth to rarity that is to be marvelled at. Uneasiness creeps in ever
so slightly, doubt tainting the questions that race in Nayeon’s head as she attempts to make
sense of her circumstances.

Considering the fact that the two were due to meet up for lunch, something must have gone
right between Momo’s talks with Mina. Nayeon couldn’t say what did but as Dahyun
supplied her with a curious look, Nayeon drew her racing thoughts to a close and spoke up.

“Thanks for the reminder, Dahyun,” Nayeon rises from her desk, dusting off her navy-blue
blazer as her hands go to adjust her azure tie. “Now. if you’ll excuse me. I have a reservation
to get to.”

Despite Mina’s best efforts, she ends up running a bit late to said reservation, her thoughts all
too consuming that a journey she knows like the back of her hand requires her after multiple
wrong turns, to switch on her GPS. It’s a frustrating experience, especially as the time ticks
on and the radio playing catchy tunes, Nayeon’s focus continues to drift. The disorientation
that robs her of any rational thought is what catches Nayeon off-guard, stuck in a bizarre state
of limbo that makes her feel almost unrecognisable. It’s strange, she observes, for something
to get such a rise out of her but in true Nayeon style, she deflects and dismisses her state of
mind due to her hangover and lack of sleep.
Soon enough, she’s handing over her car keys to valet parking and skipping her way through
the establishment, completely dishevelled with her heart in her mouth. Nayeon emerges from
the inside seating area, decorated with dazzling chandeliers and decorum fit for a king to the
outside terrace, a small yet charming area draped in vines of greenery and furniture that
blends in seamlessly. Nayeon’s eyes scour her surroundings in search of a head of midnight
hair, pinpointing Mina’s location at a table away from prying eyes. Something jittery settles
in, Nayeon’s tongue running over her lips as she takes bold steps towards the table, tingling
all over as she reaches the table, coming to a complete stop in mid sentence.

“Hi, terribly sorry for the—“

The words die on the tip of her tongue, syllables snatched away and thrown into the wind as
her eyes land on Mina’s figure, eyes lining with water in disbelief. At this point, the nerves
that bundled up in the pits of Nayeon’s stomach have spread all over, dreadfully contagious
as Nayeon’s lack of concentration and shock make her eyes scatter. From the moles dotted
across the expanse of her porcelain skin, the plump cherry red of her lips to pecan eyes that
dazzle as if they held all the stars—there could never be enough words to encapsulate how
truly beautiful Mina was, how striking her features were and how her mere presence could rid
Nayeon of her breath.

Mina raises an eyebrow, expression flat as her arms cross over her chest. “You were saying?”

Nayeon clears her throat, crimsoning slightly as she attempts to regain her composure.
“Apologies for the delay, still getting used to my schedule.”

“The joys of the corporate world.” Mina comments, her mouth lopsided as laughter blows
past Nayeon’s mouth, shuffling into her seat.

“Tell me about it,” replies Nayeon, her gaze lingering on the slopes of Mina’s soft yet angular
face possesses. It takes everything within her not to blatantly stare. “You drive here?”

“Yeah, places to go, people to see,” Mina goes to pick up the menu, scanning her options as
the large leather booklet shields her face. “Is this how you normally make small talk?”
Fuck. Nayeon chokes on whatever gets caught in her throat, a horrible sequence of chesty
coughs following before she sends a halfhearted smile at Mina to break the ice. “I’m
normally not in such beautiful company.”

“Charming,” Mina doesn’t miss a beat, despite the waiver in her tone. “Though, I must admit,
I was quite stunned when Momo texted me about you. I find it hard to believe you have
troubles in dating.”

Is that a compliment? That’s definitely a compliment, Nayeon mulls over. “Thanks, I guess?”

“No doubt about it, Nayeon,” Mina sets her menu down onto their table, eyes blazing as their
eyes lock whilst a flutter tickles in Nayeon’s chest. “Attractive women never have issues
finding suitors.”

Nayeon can’t remember feeling like this. So sheepish and timid, so unfamiliar and overgrown
in her own body— it reminds her of simpler times, when all her concerns were passing her
weekly English quizzes and catching glimpses of her crush, Ji-eun, in the hallways and
around school. It’s strange, such a nostalgic feeling set in such a distinct setting, but it feels
good. Feels ok to pursue and lean into, so she does.

“And yourself? What’s the catch?”

Mina laughs at that, the sound just as airy and angelic as Nayeon had thought it to be. A
combination of intricacies, a puzzle that demands Nayeon’s attention forever and always.

“Momo says you’re in a similar position as myself,” Mina starts off, her leg lifting as she
crosses her leg, the movement exposing a sliver of her porcelain skin. Nayeon’s eyes linger
longer than necessary, only to meet with Mina, who gives a knowing look. “Define similar.”

Nayeon clears her throat again, gaze cast to the side as she wishes away the flush that
migrates to her cheeks. “Well, I can’t speak on your behalf but let’s just say that it’s my
grandmother’s wish to see me with someone special. That, I can’t deny her—even if it
doesn’t align with what you want.”

“And, what do you want?” Mina asks, point blank.

Nayeon’s eyes flicker to Mina’s, her orbs earnest in their shimmer. “I want to grant her
wishes. And, to respect my own.”

“Which are?”

“To have the best of both worlds, I guess,” mumbles Nayeon, chin falling into the palm of her
hand as she props her elbow upon the silk-like table cloth of their table. “To give my
grandmother the partner she wants and be free to pursue my own endeavours.”

Nayeon’s so unsure about this. How she, at the tip of a hat, completely unravels and bares
herself to Mina, a showcase of her cards as Mina marvels at the sight as if it entices her. A
whirlwind this is, from the quiet beauty Mina exists into the prospect of them actually
fabricating some loving relationship to please others. It’s something of fiction, a terrible
cliche piece of fanfiction with all elements to appease the reader that delves into the mess of
their lives and how that ends with them realising their true feelings in the end. A happy
ending. This couldn't be further from the truth—in the sense of their romantic feelings, a
topic that seemingly appears foreign between the two with Mina’s curt attitude making that
all the more clear. Nonetheless, their happy ending is still guaranteed, even if it may leave the
reader with the ache of dissatisfaction heavy in their chest.

“Please,” Mina huffs out some sound of amusement, a lone corner of her lips lifted as she
braces her forearms against the table, hands clasped and she maintains a chilling amount of
eye-contact with Nayeon. The type that makes Nayeon gulp and blink repeatedly, as if
dumbfounded. “You can just say you’d like to fuck others. I’m no stranger to that.”

As much as Nayeon has no qualms in approaching or discussing her sex life, particularly with
those it involves, the brazen nonchalance that Mina breaches the topic with has Nayeon
flushing redder than a chilli pepper, the heat turned up several notches as Nayeon wallows in
her sheepishness, attributing to her meek voice as she says, “if you’d like to phrase it that
way, then yes. I’m not much of a relationship person.”
“Neither am I,” Mina chuckles to herself, a hand shielding her smile. “But, to give you a
preview of my own circumstances, my parents are hosting this upcoming gala and have been
bugging me to bring a date, as well as find a pattern. Two birds with one stone, right?”

“Upcoming gala?” Nayeon’s eyebrows furrow, a sense of familiarity on the tip of her tongue.
“Wait, do you mean the Sachiko gala? The social event of the year?”

Mina scoffs, almost annoyed at the mention of the name as she leans back into her seat, arms
folded over her chest. “A lot of people gather there and my parents care for appearances,
hence our similar situations.”

Nayeon hums in understanding all the while dialling back her surprise at the tight-knit social
circle Mina calls home. The Sachiko gala enlists all the elite of South Korea, philanthropists
and billionaire producers, the typical crowd of the prestigious event. Nayeon recalls once
when her mother, draped in her finest gown and adorned in old money jewels, attended the
event and now here Nayeon was, following in her footsteps years later.

“Think of it as a trail run,” comments Mina. “Depending on how the night goes, we’ll see
whether I’m your grandmother’s idea of girlfriend material.”

A practical step in the right direction, Nayeon nods in agreement. “We can do that.”

“Great,” Mina smiles, the hammering of Nayeon’s heart knocking once again before she
watches her lunch date begin to gather her belongings. “I’ll text you the details later tonight.
I’m assuming Momo has your number right?”

Dumbfounded, Nayeon affirms Mina’s assumption with a headnod. “Fantastic! You’ll hear
from me by the end of the day.”

Is this happening right now? Is Mina really leaving their lunch date before they could even
order said lunch? “Did you not want lunch? I’ll happily pay.”
A moment’s hesitation delays Mina’s response, her figure towering over Nayeon’s as she
stands to her feet, shifting her weight as if considering her options. “No, thanks. I’ve got
work to do. Knock yourself out though, Momo said she’d be paying.”

With a wink, Mina disappears into the wind, the echo of her red bottom heels gaining
distance from their lap as all Nayeon can do is fall back into her seat, letting out the biggest
breath she’s ever carried. Wondering, just wondering, what in the world has she gotten herself
into?

After the fictional tale that was her first meeting with Mina, it’s to be expected that Nayeon
would think it over. And, she does. Again and again, and again. Runs over every detail, every
word and syllable that escaped both hers and Mina’s lips—mostly her lips, for how painfully
red and plump they were- that’s besides the fact. The interaction, instead of being all the
answers to her questions, poses even more, the countless queries wreaking havoc in her mind
amidst her tender thoughts of Mina’s presence.

She hadn’t been what Nayeon expected her to be— Nayeon assumed she’d be more shy and
soft-spoken, Nayeon having to pry tooth and nail to get her to be frank with her. Yet, the
Mina that materialised in front of her was assertive and frank, still soft-spoken but there’s a
sternness to her tone, an unwavering confidence and absoluteness that drives Nayeon mad.
Charismatic in her own way, Mina presents a viable option for Nayeon’s plans, all of which
she has yet to inform Mina of. Taking into account how brief their meeting was, Nayeon
reasons that there had been no time to fill Mina in on the details that lay ahead of them. As
Mina said, the gala would serve as a trial run, to see if they’re a good match and if the
charades they play are believable in front of the most influential people in South Korea. No
big deal, right?

However stress-inducing those circumstances may be, Nayeon chooses not to concern herself
with those affairs, getting back to her work that demands her focus as her afternoon is
double-booked with meetings and paperwork that has her hands cramping in exhaustion. Her
never-ending day comes to a close, sending well wishes to Dahyun over her shoulder as she
wraps up the last of her admin work as Nayeon collapses into the back of her private car,
sinking into the lavish seating as her eyes flutter closed.
Nayeon sinks into her fatigue, chasing her far-fetched dreams that capture everything serene
and alluring but they are too far away and the ride to her apartment is too short, forcing her to
pry her stinging eyes open. And even then, when Nayeon ambles through her doorway,
slipping off her shoes as she replays Mina’s sultry voice as she compliments her, she cannot
catch a break.

“You look like death.”

Miyeon smirks, apron on and terribly cosy in what is solely Nayeon’s apartment.

“I didn’t text you today.”

Miyeon snickers, tone upturned as she dusts the crumbs off her hands against the material of
the tropical themed apron. “I invited myself over. Thought you could use the company.”

Nayeon can’t help the sigh that pushes out her lungs, the dull ache in the middle of her back
acting up again. “Appreciate it, but I’m tired and randomly sore, so I’m not doing any
entertaining tonight.”

A beat of silence follows, a suspicious hum close by as Nayeon turns back to Miyeon after
hanging up her coat. “Leave it to me. But first,”

Miyeon struts over to Nayeon, linking their arms together as she ushers Nayeon in the
direction of the dining area. “Let’s get you some dinner. It’ll make you feel better.”

So, Nayeon obliges, a willing participant in this play of happy wife, happy life as Miyeon
serves her a home cooked meal made with all the love someone in a friends with benefits
situation can muster. Nayeon gives credit where it's due, her compliments to the chef that
beams at her praise and motions her to the bedroom, unzipping every zipper and undoing
every button before Nayeon is laying on her stomach with Miyeon straddling her waist.
Candles lit and soft jazz in the background, the atmosphere couldn’t be more relaxing, the
sweet relief multiplying by a tenfold as Miyeon glides her the heels of her palms into
Nayeon’s tense back, massaging all the aches and pains away.

“Feel any better, baby?” Miyeon’s honeyed voice seeps into Nayeon’s consciousness.

“Yeah,” Nayeon mumbles, a satisfied groan emitting from her throat as Miyeon hits a sweet
spot. “Thanks for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure.” she says, soft and sweet, a stark contrast from the creeping sense of guilt
that fills Nayeon’s lungs with ashes.

Because, even now, with Miyeon treading ever so carefully on the tight-rope that is their
friends with benefits situation, showering Nayeon in all the love and affection she can give
and yet, all she can think of Mina and the ghost that travels through the maze of her thoughts.
Thinks of her and her sharp wit, thinks of her red-lipstick and unshakable eye contact, thinks
of her in a wedding dress and how there can’t be anything more perfect than her walking up
to her at the isle.
Chapter End Notes

Do you guys like this story so far?

End Notes

Hi I come back with another multi-chaptered fic. The first chapter is an introduction of both
Mina and Nayeon’ jaded yet fiery hook-ups. Rest assured both minayeon will meet up next
chapter.

You can follow me on twitter: dancingmoonlight

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