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Chapter Text

Dahyun

Dahyun placed a large box in the room— her room. Her new room inside the home of a girl she barely knew. Or two girls, to be exact.

“This is the last of them!” Jihyo wiggled a small box in the air before setting it down. “You’re officially all moved in!”

“Thanks again for letting me stay here for a bit.” Dahyun had already thanked Jihyo multiple times, but she didn’t know what else to say. What does one say to the friend of a friend she’d met literally once before moving in?

“Don’t mention it.” Jihyo waved her hand and tsked at Dahyun as if this were an everyday occurrence. “We have too many rooms in this house, so I’m glad one of them is getting some use.”

It was a large house—more like a mini mansion, to be exact. On the house tour Jihyo gave her, she counted at least five other bedrooms in addition to her own. All of them had stuff in them, too, which struck Dahyun as odd. Only Chaeyoung and Jihyo lived here.

“Oh, I have a rent check for you!” Dahyun wanted to smack herself in the head for not remembering sooner. She scrambled to find her purse. Chaeyoung liked to tease her when she paid for things with cash or checks at the coffee shop Chaeyoung worked at. Dahyun could practically hear her saying Okay, you grandma, as she handed over exact change for her typical hot chocolate.

“You don’t have to worry about it right now,” Jihyo said with a chuckle. “I know you’re good for the money. Chaeyoung has told us a lot about you. She said you’re very serious, determined, and dedicated.”

Dahyun blushed. Chaeyoung had been talking about her? She wondered how Chaeyoung gleaned these personality traits from the few times they hung out. Between Chaeyoung’s job as a barista, with all of its sporadic hours, and Dahyun’s as a pharmacist, with all of its long hours, they’d only hung out a handful of times outside of Dahyun’s daily visits to the cafe.

“That’s very nice of her,” Dahyun said, hoping Jihyo didn’t see how flustered she was.

“Take some time to yourself, okay? I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” Jihyo paused in the doorway, her mouth ticking up into a very genuine smile. “Welcome to the Park-Yoo household, Dahyun. It’s great to have you here.”

Park-Yoo household? I thought Chaeyoung’s last name was Son, Dahyun thought as Jihyo left. She shook off her confusion and turned to the task at hand: setting up her room.

She scanned the contents, which weren’t much and not entirely hers. None of the furniture was her own—all of her stuff was now in a storage unit or with her former roommate, Somi. When Somi got a job offer in another city that paid nearly double her current salary, Dahyun couldn’t blame her for up and leaving within two weeks. But Dahyun also couldn’t avoid the fact that 1) she herself was in some considerable debt from pharmacy school and 2) said debt and the sudden lack of a roommate meant no more apartment for her.

She hadn’t planned on telling anyone. Dahyun’s plan was to find a cheaper place, but it turned out there weren’t any cheaper places that didn’t look straight out of a horror movie. As the clock counted down closer and closer to the day she had to move out, she felt the panic surging in her. Chaeyoung happened to catch her in the midst of a wave of panic on her morning hot chocolate run.

“Hey,” Chaeyoung said with an easy smile as Dahyun stepped up to the counter. “How’s it hanging?”

“Horrible, Chae. It’s hanging horribly.” Dahyun took a deep breath. “I… I’m in a bit of a pickle, and I can’t seem to find a way out.” Admitting it felt like failure, but she had to put her pride aside for the time being. She could always mercilessly beat herself up for it later.

“What’s going on?” Chaeyoung’s eyes filled with concern.

“I need to find a place to stay ASAP, but I can’t find anything remotely safe within my budget.” Dahyun looked down at the bills in her hand. “I probably shouldn’t even be buying this hot chocolate right now.”

Before Dahyun could say anything else, Chaeyoung had her own credit card out and tapped it against the terminal.

“You need this to get through the day,” Chaeyoung said seriously. “And as for the place to stay, give me until tomorrow morning. I think I have an idea.”

The next day, when Dahyun went to the cafe, Chaeyoung eagerly gestured her over. She hopped out from behind the counter and led Dahyun to another woman who was seated off to the side of the cafe, a steaming cup of black coffee in front of her.

“This is Jihyo,” Chaeyoung said as Jihyo held her hand out to Dahyun. “I live with her, and she’s got a spare room. Jihyo can tell you more, but we’d be happy to have you stay with us for a bit.” Chaeyoung grinned at her.

“It’s great to meet you,” Jihyo said, giving Dahyun’s hand a hard shake. “We can talk logistics, but let me show you some pictures of the house and your room.”

Dahyun sat down with Jihyo, and they went over everything. Room, rent, house rules, chores. Dahyun’s head was spinning, and she was almost late to work, but she had a place to stay now. Everything else could be figured out in its own time now.

Dahyun had been hoping Chaeyoung would be there when she arrived with her stuff, but Jihyo told her she was teaching one of her art classes.

“She’ll be home tonight for family dinner,” Jihyo said.

It’s sweet that they refer to each other as family, Dahyun thought.

After organizing her room for a few hours, Dahyun could no longer ignore the rumbling in her stomach. She decided to brave going downstairs for a snack. As she made her way to the kitchen, the side door opened and in stepped the most beautiful girl Dahyun had ever laid her eyes on.

Auburn colored hair, warm brown eyes, and the most dazzling and endearing smile in the world all combined in one… Dahyun felt dizzy.

“Jagiya!” The girl called as she took off her shoes. “Jagiya, I’m home!” She turned and saw Dahyun, and the initial confusion in her eyes melted into excitement.

“You must be Dahyun!” She bounded over to Dahyun like a puppy. “I’m Sana.” She opened her eyes and Dahyun found herself hugging Sana, her vanilla perfume overwhelming Dahyun’s senses.

“Ni-nice to meet you,” Dahyun stammered out as Sana pulled away.

Jihyo came into the kitchen and hurried over to Sana, wrapping her in her arms. Then, after a hug that lingered a bit longer than one between friends, they kissed.

Oh, Dahyun thought, her heart dropping a bit.

“This is my girlfriend, Sana,” Jihyo said, her hand intertwined with Sana’s. “She’s not always home though because of her work.” Jihyo pouted, and Dahyun got the distinct impression that getting a pout out of Jihyo was rare.

“I can’t help that everyone wants me,” Sana said with a little giggle. “I’m a model,” she told Dahyun. “My work usually keeps me in Seoul, but sometimes it takes me all over the globe.” She pinched Jihyo’s cheek. “This one could travel with me, but she’s too much of a girl boss for that.”

“I can’t just leave the law practice whenever I want,” Jihyo said with a huff. “I have clients, you know.”

“I know, I know,” Sana said. She kissed Jihyo on the forehead. “I’m just teasing you, honey.”

“Get changed and ready for dinner,” Jihyo said. “I ordered from our favorite place.”

“Perfect!” Sana said, clapping her hands together. She smiled at Dahyun again. “See you at dinner!”

“I hope you like sushi.” Jihyo turned to Dahyun. “It was the most requested dish for family dinner tonight.”

“Oh, yeah, sushi is great,” Dahyun said. “Let me know how much I owe you.”

Jihyo chuckled. “It’s a welcome to the house meal, okay? Nothing owed.”

Before Dahyun could protest, the door opened again. Another girl stumbled through, and she looked far more exhausted than Sana. Her black hair was pulled back in a bun, and there was so much makeup on her face. Not that she needed it, though. Her eyes were on Jihyo as soon as she was through the door.

“Hi, honey,” Jihyo said. She went over to the other girl and she… kissed her? “You look spent.”

“I had to cover the protests, so I was on my feet all day.” She groaned as she took her shoes off. “I can’t wait to collapse into bed tonight.”

“Well, first is family dinner. Think you can make it?” Jihyo had the other girl’s hands in hers and was staring very intently into her eyes.

“I can rally,” she said, leaning forward to kiss Jihyo again. That’s when her eyes locked with Dahyun’s. “Oh, hey, you must be Dahyun. I’m Jeongyeon—Yoo Jeongyeon.”

Park-Yoo Household.

“Hi,” Dahyun said with a small wave. “Nice to meet you.”

“Sorry, I’m just tired from work, but I’ll be a bit more on later,” Jeongyeon said with another sigh. “I’ll be back, baby.” She kissed Jihyo one more time before heading upstairs.

Dahyun couldn’t help but just stare at Jihyo. Jihyo raised a brow at her, then her face morphed into realization.

“How much did Chaeyoung tell you about our household?” Jihyo asked.

“Uh, she said she lives here with you.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “Typical Chaeyoung, only giving the barest of details.” She took a seat at the kitchen table and Dahyun followed suit. “I live here, and so does Chaeyoung, yes. But my partner Jeongyeon lives here, too, and so does my girlfriend, Sana, and her girlfriend, Mina.”

“Uh… what?” Dahyun couldn’t filter herself quickly enough.

“We’re poly,” Jihyo said. “Polyamorous?” She looked at Dahyun for a moment. “I can’t believe Chaeyoung didn’t tell you.”

“Oh,” Dahyun said softly. “O-okay?” She wasn’t sure how to react.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” Concern washed over Jihyo’s face.

“No, no!” Dahyun said quickly. “All good here. Just a bit of a, uh, surprise. But nothing bad, of course!” Dahyun didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. Was she uncomfortable? She wasn’t sure, but she knew she was confused.

“We’re having a family dinner tonight, which means everyone is coming over. So it’s me, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Sana, then the others—Mina, Nayeon, Momo, and Tzuyu. We’re all happy to have you here with us, Dahyun.” Jihyo reached out and patted Dahyun’s hand. She had to repress her instinct to flinch. Dahyun wasn’t one for physical touch outside of those she was very close with.

Is this a cult? She wondered as she went over all the girls’ names. Eight girls. And they all were dating each other?

Jihyo's phone chimed. “Ah, the food is here! I’ll be back in a bit,” she said. “The others should be here soon.”

Dahyun nodded, her shoulders relaxing a bit once Jihyo left. She had a feeling it was going to be a long—and interesting—night.

Mina

Mina was regretting the red eye she had taken to come home for family dinner (Sana had pouted, and who was she to say no) as she stood outside of Chaeyoung’s art studio. It had become a regular thing, Chaeyoung having her weekly classes and Mina walking her home after them. She had tried her hand at art and despite Chaeyoung’s encouragement, she didn’t feel up to continuing the classes. She had spent the last week modeling in Milan and was looking forward to some much needed rest at home. 

“Oh, there you are!” Mina’s chest felt lighter and the exhaustion left her body. She looked over to see a cute girl with a short blonde bob, shrub earrings, and an apron covered in paint over her clothes. Mina loved her little dimple when she smiled and couldn’t get enough of it. “Sorry to make you wait, someone spilled some paint so I was taking care of that.”

Chaeyoung ran up next to Mina, linking their arms naturally as a blush crept across the Japanese girl’s face. “Some things are worth waiting for,” Mina replied quietly. 

Mina had met Chaeyoung at Jihyo’s house one day for family dinner, and she had slowly been developing a crush on the other girl. She liked Chaeyoung’s style, she seemed so cool and calm. She also enjoyed spending time with her, although it had been interesting carving out time to see Chae when she was so busy. 

They chatted about their days, Mina recounting her shoot and how they had put her on a horse, and Chaeyoung talking about the coffee shop and then the class she just taught. Mina liked her laugh and how her arm felt looped through hers. Before she knew it, they had arrived home.

“Dahyun just moved in so I gotta check on her, but it was nice seeing you. Thanks for walking me home, I’ll see you around?” Chaeyoung said with a smile. Mina nodded and walked through the door after Chaeyoung, excited to go see Sana. 

Mina and Sana had met at a shoot last year, Mina instantly captivated by Sana’s charm and personality. She was stunned when the other girl had asked her out, but it had felt so easy to be with her. Mina had been wary of polyamory, but when Sana had explained it to her, it made more sense. 

“I have so much love to give, and I don’t want to live my life wondering what it might be like to love someone. I love you, Mina. And I love what we have, and I wouldn’t have even known what this was if I wasn’t open to it. And if you weren’t open to it. I love the ability to learn and grow and go through things with you, and that’s something that I feel can be prioritized in a polyamorous relationship.”

Truthfully, Mina still wasn’t entirely sure she was on board, but given their busy schedules, it made sense. However, coming home to Sana was one of her favorite feelings. They had recently moved in together at Jihyo’s house, but in separate rooms. Since they both traveled so much, it made sense to have a home base together with all the people they cared about. Mina ran up the stairs and threw open the door. 

“Baby, I’m home!” Sana immediately ran to the doorway, throwing her arms around Mina’s neck and wrapping her legs around her, almost knocking both of them down. Mina instinctively used her hands to scoop Sana up, locking her into place as she peppered her face with kisses. 

“I missed you so much, you don’t even know!” Sana’s face was now smushed into Mina’s neck, who was now slowly walking them over to their bed. “How are you? How was your walk with Chae?” 

Mina still wasn’t used to talking about her crush with Sana. This was her first crush since they had become official, and it was strange discussing a romantic something with her partner. The two plopped down face to face, Mina propping herself up on her elbow to support her head and running her fingers through Sana’s hair. 

“I’m so tired, but it was nice walking with Chaeyoung. I’m still kind of nervous though, I’m not entirely sure how to move this forward, you know? And there’s also Nayeon and Momo-” 

“Hey, hey, baby. Look at me, let’s slow down.” Sana always knew what to say to help Mina’s anxious thoughts. At times she was overwhelmed with how much she was feeling, unsure of how she would be able to date that many people at the same time. Mina curled into Sana, who wrapped her arms around her and led Mina through some breathing exercises. 

Mina felt safe when she was with Sana. Sometimes it felt like she had everything figured out, and she really admired that about Sana. She took a deep breath and let it go, feeling the tension leave her body also. 

“You’re safe with me, ok? Things will happen as you’re ready and there’s no rush. I love you and I know it’s overwhelming, but it’ll be alright.” Mina melted further into Sana’s embrace, feeling comforted by her words and also working on detangling the thoughts in her mind. 

“Thanks, Sana,” Mina breathed out. “How are you doing?” 

“I’m good, just relaxing after a long trip. I’m glad we are back in the same time zone though, I missed your cute face and that tight ass,” Sana said with a devilish grin. 

Their heads both turned when they heard a soft knock on the door. “Come in!” They both yelled.

Jihyo stuck her head through. “Hey love birds, food’s here!” 

They both acknowledged Jihyo before she left, but as Sana got up, Mina pulled her back down and kissed her. 

“I missed you, too. Maybe I can show you how much after dinner?” Mina asked with a smirk, Sana clearly worked up. 

“Are you sure we don’t have time before dinner?” Sana groaned, wrapping her limbs around Mina. 

“You don’t have time!” Jeongyeon yelled from the hallway as she ran down the stairs, causing them both to giggle. 

“Here, I’ll bring you down,” Mina said as she lifted Sana, carrying her down the stairs. 

“You’re soooo strong, Minari,” Sana swooned. 

“Can you two quit it? You’re going to scare away Dahyun!” Jihyo yelled from the dining room, working to open all the containers of sushi. 

“She’s just so muscular and I love her so much,” Sana replied, kissing Mina repeatedly. 

“What if I want some of that!” A voice yelled from the entryway. Mina would recognize that voice anywhere. 

“Well, Nayeon, you just have to ask,” Sana teased, hopping off Mina’s back and running over to shower Nayeon and Momo with kisses. “How are my girlfriends?”

Tzuyu

Tzuyu took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. She always had to prepare herself for this—for seeing her girlfriend, and for seeing other people flirt with her girlfriend. Chaeyoung had been very upfront with her from their first date, even offering to field questions from Tzuyu on the spot.

“There’s something I wanted to talk about with you.” Chaeyoung looked up from her meal. “I’m polyamorous.”

At first, Tzuyu thought it was a joke. A prank. She’d never met anyone poly before, and she certainly hadn’t expected Chaeyoung to be poly. She didn’t even look poly—not that Tzuyu knew what a poly person would look like.

“So… you have other partners?” Tzuyu hoped she’d swallowed her surprise well enough.

“Not at the moment, no,” Chaeyoung clarified. “But I have in the past, and I’d like to in the future, as well.”

“Oh,” was all Tzuyu could say.

“If you aren’t interested because of this, I completely understand,” Chaeyoung said. “I like you a lot, and you deserve my honesty, so I just wanted to tell you.”

Tzuyu had no idea what she felt about polyamory, or Chaeyoung being polyamorous, but she did know she really liked Chaeyoung. She wouldn’t have signed up for her art classes for the past three months if she hadn’t. Tzuyu liked to draw every now and then, but not enough to dedicate two hours per week—after work, no less—if she didn’t also like the someone giving the drawing lessons.

“I like you, too,” Tzuyu blurted out. “And I want to date you. Keep dating you.” Tzuyu took a sip of water to hide her blush.

“Cool,” Chaeyoung said with her signature easy smile. “Do you have any questions for me about polyamory?”

Tzuyu didn’t even know where to start, let alone what to ask.

“Nope, not right now, at least.”

Besides, if Chaeyoung wasn’t seeing anyone else at the moment, maybe she never would, and then Tzuyu would never have to consider what it meant that Chaeyoung was poly.

For the past few months, it had been just her and Chaeyoung. When she asked Chaeyoung to be her girlfriend after they went stargazing one night, and Chaeyoung happily accepted, part of Tzuyu assumed now she got Chaeyoung all to herself. But, lately, it had become clear she was wrong.

Tzuyu rang the doorbell before she could think about it any longer.

“There you are!” Chaeyoung swung open the door and pulled Tzuyu in for a hug, kissing her softly and sweetly on the lips before pulling her into the house. “The food’s here, the table’s set, and Dahyun moved in today, too! You two finally get to meet!” Chaeyoung was practically bouncing with excitement.

Tzuyu had to admit that when Chaeyoung told her about Dahyun, she was worried she wanted to date her. But it soon became clear to Tzuyu that it was platonic, and, from Chaeyoung’s stories, Dahyun could be straight for all they knew.

Tzuyu took her seat next to Chaeyoung at the long table—a longer table than Tzuyu had seen outside of a restaurant. She wasn’t sure how Jihyo and Jeongyeon found it, but it was perfect for what Chaeyoung lovingly called family dinners. Once they’d started dating, Chaeyoung was quick to include Tzuyu. Tzuyu really liked all of the other girls—they were welcoming and funny and kind.

But she’d noticed lately that one girl seemed to have her eyes set on Chaeyoung. And that girl happened to be across from Chaeyoung tonight.

“Hey, Tzuyu,” Mina said with a small wave. “It’s good to see you again.”

Tzuyu liked Mina. Mina was a quiet, sweet person who also happened to be insanely beautiful. She’d definitely chosen her profession correctly. What Tzuyu didn’t like was seeing Chaeyoung flirt with Mina.

“Good to see you, too,” Tzuyu said.

Chaeyoung tapped Tzuyu on the shoulder. “This is Dahyun. Dahyun, this is my girlfriend, Tzuyu.”

A girl with long black hair and golden rimmed glasses sat on Chaeyoung’s other side. She said hi, nodding to Tzuyu.

“It’s great to meet you, Dahyun, and to have you here tonight. How are you liking it here so far?”

“Everyone is lovely,” Dahyun said. “I’m still so grateful to Jihyo for helping me out.”

“Ah, Dahyun, you’ve said that like a million times just since I’ve gotten here!” Nayeon exclaimed from the other side of the table. “Jihyo and Jeongyeon have a thing for helping people, so you better get used to it!” Nayeon dipped her head back as she laughed, hitting her girlfriend, Momo, in the arm as she did.

“Ow,” Momo whined.

Nayeon just laughed harder.

“It’s serve yourself style, so let’s all dive in!” Jihyo said.

Tzuyu looked at the spread—it was serious. She felt like she was at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Jihyo and Jeongyeon never spared expenses when it came to family dinners. Even though everyone chipped in, Tzuyu knew for a fact that her twenty dollar contribution couldn’t have bought more than a dish or two of that food.

“So, Tzu, how was your day?” Chaeyoung asked around an avocado roll.

“Oh, pretty good. I did outpatient sessions today from my office, so it was pretty structured. No surprises.” Tzuyu liked all aspects of her job as a psychiatrist, but she relished the days she spent in the comfort of her own office the most. The days she did rounds in the hospital could be tiring.

“That’s good,” Chaeyoung said. “I’m glad it was a pretty good day.”

“How was art class?” Tzuyu asked as she picked up a California roll with her chopsticks.

“Oh, it was great! That old man—you remember him from the classes you came to, right?—well he was working on this study of a bird he sees all the time at his birdfeeder, and it’s coming along really nicely. He’s happy with it, too, which is the best part.”

“Will his piece be in the art show?” Mina asked from across the table.

“Definitely,” Chaeyoung said. “I think I convinced him of it today. Will you be there?”

Tzuyu noticed the way Chaeyoung’s voice lilted up at the end. She did that with her, too. She did that when she was flirting.

“If my schedule allows, I’ll absolutely be there.” Mina was flirting right back, albeit not as confidently as Chaeyoung.

Sana smiled fondly at her girlfriend, and Tzuyu wondered, not for the first time, how Sana was so okay with watching Mina openly flirt with other people. It was one thing to know it happened, but a whole other thing to see it happen.

“Cool,” Chaeyoung said, her face tinged red. “Can’t wait.” She turned to Tzuyu. “It’s on a Saturday, so you should be off, right?”

Tzuyu frowned. “If I’m not assigned to rounds that day, then yes, of course I’ll be there.” She wanted to lean over and kiss Chaeyoung, but she was still a bit shy about doing that in front of everyone.

Chaeyoung pouted. “I don’t wanna be without my girl.”

My girl. The words made Tzuyu’s heart beat a bit faster.

“I’ll do my best,” she said, as if she hadn’t already planned on doing her best. She would always do her best for Chaeyoung. She was wrapped around her finger, afterall.

Jeongyeon stood up at the other end of the table, clinking her chopsticks against her wine glass. “I would like to have everyone’s attention, please!” She declared. “Let’s all welcome Dahyun into our midst.” She smiled at the new girl. “We’re sorry you came here under stressful circumstances, but we’re happy to have you for as long as you need to be here. You’re part of our family now.”

Everyone else shouted in agreement, raising their glasses to Dahyun.

“To Dahyun, a new member of our family!” Nayeon exclaimed.

“Yes, to Dahyun, who I definitely want to get to know better,” Sana said with a little giggle.

Tzuyu’s eyebrow ticked up when she saw Dahyun blush. Maybe the girl wasn’t straight.

“Thanks for welcoming me so nicely,” Dahyun said. “I appreciate it a lot.”

The dinner soon returned to normal, with everyone making idle chatter. But Tzuyu couldn’t stop noticing the way Mina’s eyes kept flitting back to Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu took a sip of her water, then set it down. She needed something a bit stronger to get her through the night.

Nayeon

Nayeon lived for their weekly family dinners. Who was she to complain when everyone she loved gathered regularly in one place? She loved standing in the kitchen and watching Momo cook, gazing lustfully at the beautiful woman she lived with, and then doing her best to distract her from the task at hand. Nayeon didn’t know Momo was smarter than her and would quietly buffer her cooking time to make room for said distractions. Then they’d make the eight minute drive over and be showered in affection, mostly by Sana, but also by everyone at varying degrees. Nayeon hoped some of those degrees would change soon. 

She loved the freedom of all her relationships, being able to explore them however she wanted and she loved coming home to Momo at the end of the day. She loved this in the same ways Sana did. 

“So uh how do you all know each other?” Dahyun asked, grabbing a salmon roll with her chopsticks. 

Nayeon had been waiting for this one ever since she heard Dahyun was moving in. She had done some light stalking (or rather forced Chaeyoung to show her pictures) and she was ready to go. “I’m so glad you asked!”

“Oh, here we go again,” Jihyo grumbled, pretending to be annoyed but anxiously awaiting Nayeon’s explanation. It had been awhile since they had added a new member, it had nearly scared Tzuyu away. But she loved hearing things from Nayeon’s point of view, it was much more exciting. And luckily it didn’t scare Tzuyu away. 

“Just so you know, you don’t have to date someone to live here, that’s not in the contract,” Jeongyeon said with a wink. 

“But if you did, who would you pick?” Sana asked with a smirk, reveling in the way Dahyun blushed. 

“Maybe she doesn’t want to pick,” Tzuyu mumbled under her breath. 

“Maybe she doesn’t like women,” Momo shrugged. 

“Look at us, she’d be crazy to say no,” Nayeon replied, everyone quickly nodding in agreement. 

Dahyun’s blush deepened. “I uh I do like women but I haven’t ever been in a situation like this before.” Dahyun glanced around, feeling uneasy about all the eyes on her at this moment. “And I still don’t know how you all met.” 

Nayeon could see what she was doing and decided to give her a pass. It had been awhile since she had gone after a shy nerdy girl. She kind of thought that was what Mina would be like, but she was surprised by how things had gone thus far. She was very forward with Mina but the girl was so shy, she wasn’t sure whether or not she was into it. Sana assured Nayeon that Mina was, and with that, Nayeon continued to pursue. 

“It all started at a college dorm. Somehow the stars align and me, Momo, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon all room together. We are the best of friends, doing everything together despite busy schedules and life. That is until one day, disaster strikes,” Nayeon started, looking around at everyone’s face to see how it was being received. Most of the room had heard it so there were some eyerolls, but Dahyun and Tzuyu’s eyes remained engaged and locked on Nayeon. 

“Don’t call it a disaster!” Jihyo yelled, throwing a chopstick wrapper across the table at Nayeon’s head. “It was beautiful.” Jeongyeon leaned over and gave Jihyo a kiss on the forehead and gestured for Nayeon to continue. 

“Well I found out that Jeongyeon and Jihyo had been dating behind my back for MONTHS! They had no intention of telling anyone, I had to find them making out in the LIBRARY-”

Jeongyeon chimed in with a shrug. “We were going to tell you eventually.”

“I knew,” Momo said quietly, earning a laugh from everyone in the room. 

“We were really good friends, if Nayeon didn’t notice, it’s because she wasn’t paying attention,” Jihyo replied. 

“It was devastating for our polycule, our quartet-”

“We weren’t poly at the time,” Jihyo said quickly, assuring their friends at the table who already mostly knew the story. 

“That is until one drunken night, I look out across the room at the party, and I see the most stunning girl with the nicest rack-”

“Ok, calm down, Casanova,” Chaeyoung giggled. She loved this part. 

“Still stunning with a nice rack,” Sana said with a wink. 

“And I think to myself, ‘If I don’t kiss her tonight, I will have failed phenomenally.’ So I make my way across the room and I say, ‘Good god, you are so beautiful, I need you to kiss me right now or I might die.’”

Nayeon took a moment to look around. Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Momo were making eyes at each other, remembering this night fondly. Mina, Sana, and Chaeyoung were grinning, excited to hear the story again. Dahyun and Tzuyu both stared at the other girls, anxiously awaiting the ending of this story. 

“And then?” Dahyun asked, not enjoying the way she was being strung along. 

“And then she kissed me and we’ve been dating ever since,” Nayeon finished quickly, leaning over and giving Momo a kiss on the head. 

“It never really made sense to us, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense,” Jihyo said, to which Jeongyeon nodded. 

“Wow I forgot that that’s how that story goes,” Tzuyu said thoughtfully. “You gotta explain how you met everyone else, too.” 

“You don’t have to go into super detail-” Mina started, nervously glancing from Chaeyoung to Tzuyu. 

Sana sensed her hesitation and jumped in. “Oh but she does! Tell it Nayeon!” 

Nayeon grinned and blew the girl a kiss. “Obviously my body is phenomenal and I’ll tell you how I got it- pilates. One day my instructor is busting my ass, I’m shaking from my head to my toes, and I look over and I see an angel-”

“She was close to death,” Jeongyeon chuckled. 

“An angel with an ass so firm you could bounce a quarter on it,” Sana said as she nuzzled into Mina’s neck. 

“What does that even mean?” Jihyo asked. 

“Anyways, I walk off the reformer and the girl comes to me and says, ‘Girl, your body is so fine, let me take you out’ and-”

“That’s NOT what happened!” Mina exclaimed, the first time she had raised her voice at the table, face red as a stop sign. Sana and Chaeyoung giggled, it was odd for them to see Mina worked up like that. A tiny cloud formed over Tzuyu’s head as she watched the interaction. 

Nayeon was taken aback by Mina’s reaction but decided to roll with it. “I said ‘Baby, you can take me out anytime, but what I’d really like is for you to eat-’”

Dahyun’s eyes were wide with fear and Tzuyu seemed to be stewing as Momo nudged Nayeon to revert back to what actually happened. Sana giggled as she watched the events transpire. 

“Ok, well actually I saw Sana and Mina at the studio together and asked if they knew any good spots around for brunch and they took me there. The rest is history! Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung grew up together, Tzuyu attended an art show one time and then made a point to attend Chaeyoung’s art classes after, little mastermind-”

“It’s not like that!” Tzuyu exclaimed.

“It was a little like that, be honest babe,” Chaeyoung chuckled. Everyone laughed as the tall girl blushed. 

“Ok maybe a little,” Tzuyu mumbled, Chaeyoung leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. 

“And you,” Nayeon said, leaning over and pointing at Dahyun. “Are a regular at Chaeyoung’s coffee shop and now live here at this house, where we regularly convene. And that is how we all know each other.”

The room burst in applause as Nayeon stood up and took several deep bows, basking in the attention. When it quieted down, Nayeon could sense another question on Dahyun’s mind, the girl looked to be a little constipated. 

“Go ahead, ask your question, we won’t be offended,” Nayeon said as she was gently fed an eel roll by Momo. 

Dahyun shuffled in her seat for a bit, stuttering a couple times before finally spitting it out. “I don’t know if this is an appropriate question to ask or how to ask this, but who is dating who?”

“YES!” Nayeon yelled as she walked around the room and collected money from Sana, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon. 

“What is going on?” Chaeyoung asked, wondering if she had missed something. 

“Everyone bet against me, but I knew you’d ask that at dinner tonight,” Nayeon smirked, immediately walking back and making it rain over Momo, who quietly smirked too. 

“Making bets on our guests, interesting first impression,” Sana tsked. 

Jeongyeon crossed her arms. “That’s bold coming from someone who already asked who she would want to date in the house.” 

“I’m just trying to get her comfortable!” Sana whined, to which everyone nodded. No one could quite say no to her. 

“Should we run through every relationship?” Jihyo asked. 

“Established ones for sure,” Tzuyu said quickly, trying not to be obvious about wanting to mark her territory, but wanting it.

“Flirtationships?” Momo asked. Everyone in the room thought quietly to themselves. 

“Nah, let’s let her figure that out on her own,” Nayeon smirked. “Or should we let Dahyun guess?” 

“That’s evil, don’t do that to her, it's her first day!” Mina said quickly. 

“Fine, fine.” Nayeon couldn’t deny Mina either. Something about her and Japanese girls. “Well, as you know, Jihyo and Jeongyeon own this house and they are primary partners-”

“Sorry, what does that mean?” Dahyun asked. Tzuyu was also extra attentive, having not known these words when they did the run through earlier. She had done some light googling at home but she wanted to know what it meant to them, too. 

“It means that Jeongyeon and I prioritize each other over our other relationships since we share this home, our general finances, and ultimately our future,” Jihyo replied quickly, to which everyone else nodded. 

“Momo and I are also primaries, more so because we are poor and depend on each other,” Nayeon said to the group. “Sana and Jeongyeon are my girlfriends and everyone else has a crush on me.” 

Sana blew a kiss across the table to her, which she quickly chomped. Everyone else started mumbling about how they didn’t have a crush on her while Mina and Dahyun stayed quiet. Nayeon made sure to stash that in her mind palace. 

“Momo is dating Sana and Jihyo, Sana has Jihyo and Mina as partners, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu are girlfriends, and I’m too lazy to flip it the other way so you can figure it out,” Nayeon finished with a shrug. 

“Maybe we need a whiteboard or something,” Mina said as she looked at a very confused Dahyun. 

“That’s an excellent idea, love,” Sana replied, giving her a kiss and walking into the other room to look for a whiteboard. 

“Baby, they’re in the other room,” Jihyo said as she followed Sana out of the dining area. 

“That’s a lot,” Dahyun said, eyes a little glazed over still. “How do you balance all of it?”

“Yeah, I’m still processing if I’m being honest,” Tzuyu chuckled. 

Sana and Jihyo wheeled in with their touchscreen digital whiteboard. It was like something you’d find in an office space, yet it felt right in their house. Nayeon loved to use this for pictionary, but she recognized there were other purposes. 

Jihyo flipped it to their calendar. “Each person has a color and you mark when you’re busy, if you’ve got dates, etc etc. It’s a lot of coordinating but I think it’s worth it.”

Sana flipped it to the paint option and started writing their names and drawing lines. 

“I don’t mean to be a bummer hun, but that’s even more confusing,” Momo said softly as she watched several lines intersect with each other. Nayeon got up and took a marker, drawing all the lines to her. “That’s even more unhelpful.” 

Nayeon pouted at Momo, who sighed and relented. It was true, the board was incredibly difficult to read and ultimately unhelpful. But Nayeon didn’t miss the way everyone stared at her ass as she wrote. Or maybe it was Sana’s ass, but she didn’t care. She looked over and winked at Mina, who immediately blushed. She turned around and grinned to herself, now drawing something slightly less appropriate. She then looked the other way and winked at Dahyun, who also blushed. This was going to be fun. 

Sana leaned over and whispered in Nayeon’s ear. “Now why are you drawing what you want to do to me over there?”

“I was hoping you’d see.” Nayeon didn’t have much resolve when it came to Sana. They were still technically at dinner and she was now trying to figure out how quickly she could get out of it. 

“I think you should show me later,” Sana said with a slight growl, making Nayeon’s legs weak, before turning around and announcing she was finished with her chart. She started avidly explaining it again as everyone chimed in with their own thoughts and feelings. 

Chapter Text

“Hey, are you sure you filled this order right?”

Dahyun was startled awake by her assistant’s voice.

“Oh, uh, let me check…” She grabbed the bottle back from Gahyun and reviewed the information. She wanted to slap herself on the forehead. The prescription was a three month supply, but she’d only put in a month’s supply. “I didn’t. Thank you for catching this,” she said with a smile she could barely muster up.

Gahyun beamed at her. “The bottle just felt too light! Happy to help!” She saluted Dahyun before scurrying off.

Dahyun sighed as she corrected her error. She normally never made mistakes, but she was exhausted. She hadn’t been this exhausted since she was in school to become a pharmacist. There had been many all-nighters then, but ever since then, she was sure to live a balanced life. Never up too late and always on time to work with a hot chocolate in hand and a smile on her face. Somi used to call her a grandma, but she didn’t mind. Her social life was lacking, but she had her coworkers and her books. When she wasn’t working, she was reading, and that was simply the way she liked things.

But now, everything was different. Now she lived in a house with almost virtual strangers, aside from Chaeyoung—who she didn’t even know that well—and she still wasn’t too sure how many of them officially lived there. She’d been up late the night before trying to make sense of everything she’d learned at dinner. She’d been too overwhelmed to read, let alone to sleep. She even skipped her hot chocolate that morning just to get to work on time. Everything was a mess.

Dahyun laser-focused herself on her orders the rest of the day, relief flooding through her when it was time for her shift change. She almost headed back to her old apartment automatically before remembering and correcting course. Two train rides and a short walk later, she was standing in front of Chaeyoung’s house. She was hoping against all logic that no one else was home so she could have a moment to collect herself, but of course that wasn’t the case.

“Dahyun-ah, how lovely to see you.” Sana opened the door before Dahyun could even put her hand on the knob. “I got in a moment ago and I saw you walking down the street. I figured I’d wait for you.”

There was a glint in Sana’s eyes that made Dahyun’s heart beat just a bit faster.

“Th-thank you,” Dahyun managed to get out. She slipped in past Sana, but she could feel Sana’s eyes on her, trailing up and down as if she were eyeing a tasty meal. Dahyun gulped, hoping Sana didn’t hear.

“H-how was work?” Dahyun hated that she was reduced to a stuttering mess in front of Sana, especially when she didn’t even know why. She continued into the kitchen, trying to put some distance between herself and Sana without it being too obvious.

“Oh, I had today off. I cleaned the house a bit, though. I think that counts.”

When Dahyun turned around, Sana was right there, a grin on her face.

“How are you settling in, Dahyun-ah?” Ah, actually, is it okay to speak informally?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine.” Dahyun figured speaking informally was the least of her worries now. She was too focused on trying to control her blush.

“Perfect. Then you can call me unnie, you know.”

“Oh, okay,” Dahyun said with a nervous laugh. It felt too intimate to call Sana unnie in a way it didn’t when calling another older friend by that name. She wasn’t sure if she could do it.

“So, how are you settling in?” Sana asked again. She sat at the island at the center of the kitchen, chin resting on her hands, eyes trained on Dahyun. Dahyun felt like she could see right through her.

“Oh, it was okay. I was a bit tired.” Dahyun didn’t know why she was telling Sana any of this.

“The first night in a new place is always a bit hard,” Sana said. “When I first stayed here, I was up all night. Of course, there was another reason for that.” Sana smirked as Dahyun’s face turned red. “But I don’t spend every night with Jihyo or Mina, or with anyone for that matter. I have my own room, and sometimes I need my own space.” Sana studied her finger nails, which were perfectly manicured. Dahyun figured it was part of her job. “But that’s rare, I’ll admit. I’m a bit… clingy.”

“Hey, are you terrorizing Dahyun?” Jihyo bustled into the kitchen, a satchel over her shoulder and circles under her eyes. Dahyun saw the way her tired eyes lit up when Sana turned to her, though.

“Hmm, I don’t know if ‘terrorizing’ is the right word for it. More like… teasing? Conversing?”

Something about hearing Sana confirm that she was toying around with her made Dahyun blush again. Did Sana like her? She barely knew her. Was that even possible?

Jihyo rolled her eyes at her girlfriend. “Be nice. She’s new, and Nayeon was already a lot last night.”

“Nayeon is a lot any night, if you know what I mean.”

“Sana!” Jihyo gasped, lightly hitting her shoulder.

Sana just shrugged. “I have a Zoom meeting for a bit with executives on the West Coast—”

“Just call it the United States,” Jihyo mumbled. “We don’t live in America.”

“Fine, in California, if I’m allowed to be specific. But then are we still doing dinner out?”

“Reservations are all set.” Jihyo leaned forward and kissed Sana gently. Dahyun had a feeling the kiss would be less gentle if not for her presence. “I’ll clean up.”

“No cleaning up needed for you, jagiya.” Sana kissed Jihyo again, and Jihyo had to push her away when she tried to deepen it, giving her a pointed look. Dahyun wanted to sink into a hole in the floor.

“Okay,” Sana said with a pout. “I’ll see you in a bit.” She turned to Dahyun. “It was great chatting, Dahyun-ah. I’ll talk to you later.” She winked as she flitted upstairs for her meeting.

“I’m sorry,” Jihyo said with a sigh. “I know she can be a lot, but she’s harmless. She just likes to flirt, and she likes it even more when the other person gets flustered.”

So it didn’t mean anything, then? Dahyun didn’t understand why she was a bit disappointed to learn that Sana’s flirtations were potentially empty. Likely empty, she told herself. She was just having fun.

“Are you settling in alright?” When Jihyo asked, Dahyun knew she was looking for a bit more serious of an answer than Sana.

“Yes, but…” Dahyun thought back to how distracted she’d been at work all day. Maybe she needed to talk to someone about everything, and Jihyo seemed like the right person. She was offering, too. “I’m still a bit confused, honestly. At… everything.”

Jihyo gave her a small smile. “That’s very understandable. Nayeon was well intentioned, but I can imagine learning all of that at once was overwhelming. What would you like to know?”

“Just… uh… How do you know if you have a crush?” Dahyun’s hands flew to her mouth. She was shocked at the question that had popped out. 

“I think that’s different for everyone.” Jihyo seemed unphased. “If you’re asking how do I specifically know, then it’s a feeling in my stomach—a little flutter—and that person is on repeat in my mind, even when we aren’t together.”

“But isn’t everyone on your mind at that rate?”

Jihyo laughed. “Good point,” she said. “In a way, yes. I’m usually very focused on the person I’m with, though. This is more in spare moments. With Sana, I knew because I started hoping every ad with a model I saw on the subway would be of her. I thought of her before falling asleep, and every time she looked at me I felt something somersault in my stomach.”

The last feeling was familiar to Dahyun.

“I don’t have any crushes at the moment, though. I’m happy with Jeongyeon, Sana, and Momo.”

“If you did have a crush, would you tell them?” The idea felt taboo to Dahyun.

“Of course,” Jihyo said. “We talk about your feelings all the time. Jeongyeon told me when she realized she had a crush on Nayeon. I helped her figure out how to talk to her.”

“That didn’t make you jealous?” Dahyun asked incredulously.

“Of course it made me a bit jealous. Jealousy is a natural human emotion and it’s not bad to feel it.” Jihyo poured herself a glass of water and she talked and slid one across the counter to Dahyun. “It actually helped to be so transparent about it, though. And seeing Jeongyeon be honest with Nayeon gave me the courage to confess to Sana. It actually made Jeongyeon and I closer, too. Those feelings are big and vulnerable, so sharing them showed us new sides of each other.” Jihyo smiled fondly at the memory. “I know this might be strange to you, but you’ll see, if you want to, that is.”

“Oh, I…” I’ve never had a girlfriend. “I don’t have time to date.” Dahyun settled on her usual answer—the one she’d given since she was in high school.

“You have time to flirt, though,” Jihyo said with a devilish grin. “And Sana is good to flirt with. Nothing wrong with that!” Jihyo downed her water, slamming it on the counter when she was done. “I have to go get ready for my date, but it was good chatting. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“Thanks, uh… Jihyo-shi.” Dahyun wasn’t sure what to call Jihyo.

“You can call me unnie. I know Sana already offered.” Jihyo laughed at Dahyun’s surprised expression. “Well, I didn’t know for sure that she did, but you just confirmed it. Bye, Dahyun-ah.”

Dahyun was once again left with her own thoughts, but she found they were less jumbled now. She sighed, turning her attention to her more immediate needs, like food and sleep.

Food first, then sleep, she promised herself. She had a feeling she would sleep a bit better tonight, and maybe—maybe—thoughts of a certain someone would occupy her mind until she drifted off.

Chapter Text

Mina leaned back to stretch, looking at the clock and realizing it was almost dinner time. She turned her neck, feeling a pop after spending the whole day working on this Lego typewriter. She didn’t have much time off but when she did, she loved to decompress with a Lego set. She looked around her room, admiring the various things she had built. There was a Vespa, several flowers, a Polaroid camera, and even a tiny model of her and Sana, gifted to her by none other than Sana herself. 

At first she had thought that having separate rooms was silly but she appreciated time in her space to do whatever she wanted. Mina loved having everyone in the house, but sometimes it was overwhelming. Her room was all the way down the hall, away from everyone else. Which was why she was surprised when she heard a knock at the door. Sana and Jihyo had a date tonight so she wasn’t sure who was looking for her. 

“Come in,” she croaked, realizing her voice was coarse from lack of use. She cleared her throat as the figure entered the room. 

“Hey Mina, I was just seeing if you had dinner yet. Momo made curry for everyone and I hadn’t seen you yet so I figured I’d check in,” Nayeon said quickly, slight nerves evident in her voice. 

Despite how chaotic Nayeon was, Mina knew she was incredibly soft and cared very deeply for everyone in the house. She hoped it was a little more for herself, but she wasn’t sure how to figure that out or how to make it happen. Nayeon flirted with everyone, how was she to know if it was different? 

“Oh thanks, Nayeon. I was just wondering what I was going to eat,” Mina replied. Nayeon walked over, food in hand, setting it down gently on the desk. As she leaned over, Mina got a whiff of the food and also Nayeon’s perfume, which reminded her of a sweet dessert. 

Mina started eating, the delicious curry coating her mouth. She loved when Momo cooked, it felt like everything she cooked was made with love. It was no wonder she was considered one of the best chefs in the state.

“Whatcha working on?” Nayeon asked, still lingering in Mina’s space. 

“Do you want to guess?” Mina politely smiled, then quickly covered her mouth, not wanting any of the curry to show up. 

Nayeon laughed. “Wow um well I guess it could be a giraffe? Or a filing cabinet?” Nayeon picked up one of the pieces from the desk, Mina internally cringing as she had a somewhat meticulous system for her Lego arrangements. She was surprised when Nayeon placed it back where she found it. 

“No and no, it’s a typewriter,” Mina giggled. “The filing cabinet was weirdly close though, where did you even pull that from?”

“Just the color, but I also feel like the shape of a filing cabinet is the only thing I’d actually be able to do, I’m really bad at legos.” Mina loved Nayeon’s smile and the way she looked at her. Nayeon’s gaze had Mina feeling like she was the only girl in the world, and it made her chest swell. She wondered if Sana felt the same way. 

“No one’s bad at legos, maybe we can do an easy one together sometime?” Mina casually asked. 

“Myoi Mina are you asking me on a date?” Nayeon asked with a small smirk, cheeks a little pink. Mina’s face also went pink, realizing what she had said. 

“Oh uh well I um if-“

“The answer is yes,” Nayeon cut her off quickly, recognizing if she let the other girl continue stuttering she would stumble her way out of it. 

“Ok, I only have a couple more days of free time so? Let me know if something doesn’t work?” Mina asked. 

“I’ll move some things around, I’m excited for this,” Nayeon replied with another one of her charming grins. Mina’s heart was racing now. “Oh, you’ve finished. Do you want me to bring that back down for you?”

Mina looked at her empty bowl. Truthfully she wanted more, and she might as well go socialize a bit since she hadn’t all day. “No, I’ll come with you.”

Nayeon smiled as Mina stood up, grabbing the door and putting her hand on the small of Mina’s back as she walked with her down the hall and down the stairs. Mina couldn’t even focus on Nayeon’s words, all she could think about was the hand on her back. This was new. She hadn’t seen Nayeon do this to anyone else and she could feel each digit resting on her back, sending butterflies up her spine. Mina hadn’t experienced this in awhile. 

Suddenly she was in the kitchen, Nayeon still talking and Mina suddenly aware of Momo’s eyes on her. She pulled away from Nayeon, immediately missing the contact, and headed to Momo with the curry. 

“This was so good! Thanks for making it, do you mind if I have a little more?” Mina asked. She had always admired Momo, she had really worked her way up from the bottom and was still searching for new heights to achieve. She had never said this aloud before though. 

Momo’s demeanor shifted from something almost sad to happy. “Yeah of course, anything for you, Mina.” Momo took the bowl and started scooping rice, emphatically discussing the various ingredients in the curry and how they played a part in her vision for the meal. 

Mina found herself blushing again. Anything ? She noted the way Momo was smiling at her and how her hand lingered a little longer when she handed back the full bowl. She noticed how warm she felt, eyes lingering a little too long on the bowl of food and then Momo’s chest. She hadn’t really noticed that before-

“Uh Mina?” Momo asked with a smile, very aware of where Mina’s eyes were. “Do you mind helping me with something?” 

Mina nodded, setting down her bowl despite not knowing what the favor was. Momo leaned in closer to Mina, pulling her phone out and showing the screen to her. 

“Which of these do you think is the best?” Momo flipped through a couple pictures of food she had taken at her restaurant, for social media, Mina presumed. She happily swiped through the pictures, noting the pros and cons of each. Then she swiped again and saw a picture of Momo in lingerie. Her eyes went wide, dropping the phone on the ground. 

Momo and Mina both knelt down to the ground to pick it up at the same time. “Momo, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to see that and then I also dropped your phone on the ground not that it was bad it was definitely good I was just surprised to see-”

“You don’t need to apologize, I meant for you to see that,” Momo whispered with a wink, quickly springing back up and rejoining a conversation in the kitchen. Mina stayed squatting on the floor, processing what had just happened. She could still feel the heat of Momo’s breath on her ear, her face was a little flushed. 

“We’re baaaack!” Sana exclaimed as she threw the front door open, Jihyo in tow. “And we brought back treats for everyone, gather round children.”

“I thought we were keeping that to the bedroom,” Nayeon joked, eagerly running up to give Sana a kiss. Sana gave her a knowing look and winked, handing her a strawberry shortcake. “Oh my god yes I love you so much.” 

Sana and Jihyo went around, handing out desserts to whoever was around and then finally stashed the rest in the fridge for when they knew the other girls would come. That was where Mina remained, and Sana grabbed the cake she brought for her and gently raised her up so they could walk together to her room. Mina reflexively leaned into Sana. She didn’t know exactly why she had gotten stuck there on the ground after that picture, but she was glad Sana found her and moved her. 

“Hi baby, you doing ok?” Sana said as she put down her stuff on the desk and took off her jacket, leaning over to kiss Mina’s forehead. 

“I... don’t know what happened, I was just paralyzed on the ground, I didn’t know what to do?”

Sana sat down next to Mina and started playing with her hair, something she knew would calm the girl down. “Tell me how your evening was.” 

Mina recounted everything. She recounted Nayeon’s gesture and how it felt, how she had a date, and then what had happened with Momo in the kitchen, and how she could still feel Momo’s breath on her ear. 

“It’s a lot, I don’t really know what to do with all this attention and it’s a little overwhelming,” Mina finally said, realizing what she was ultimately struggling with. She hadn’t thought about it much, but when she had first started dating Sana, she was overwhelmed. Now she wasn’t sure how she would be able to do her dates with Sana and Nayeon and Chaeyoung and perhaps even Momo. It made her head spin. 

“You’re so cute,” Sana pouted as she squished Mina’s cheeks. “I’m sorry you’re feeling so overwhelmed. You’re just the best, of course everyone’s going to want to spend time with you. I know I feel that way. What are you worried about?” 

Mina looked at Sana. Sana was stunning, she was everything Mina wanted in a girlfriend. She was fun, thoughtful, always looking for ways to show she cared. Mina loved being loved by her. “What if I can’t show up for everyone well and someone slips through the cracks? And I end up hurting them?” 

She thought about all the ways she could disappoint people, ultimately causing massive rifts in the home and destroying the dynamics they had all worked so hard to build. Her heart rate was going up as the anxiety spiraled through her mind. 

Mina felt two arms wrap around her tightly, and her body relaxed a bit into the touch, letting Sana hold her. Her mind slowed down along with her breathing, and she was able to come back into her body. She let out a deep sigh. 

“Can you tell me a little about your date?” Mina needed a distraction and Sana recognized it. 

“Oh, it was sweet. We got dinner at that local Italian spot I’ve been telling you about and I had this amazing plate of carbonara. They brought out a giant cheese wheel and then set it on fire with the pasta in it, it was crazy! Jihyo got this crazy video of me standing next to it, I’ll have to show you in a bit. And then we walked around outside and watched the sunset. It was beautiful, you would’ve loved it. Here, I took a picture for you.” As Sana leaned over to show Mina the picture, a small knot formed in Mina’s stomach. She appreciated that Sana had thought of her and taken a picture for her, but a small part of her wished she had been there sharing that moment with Sana. She did need the alone time tonight, but she couldn’t help but wonder how different it could’ve been. The thoughts began to spiral. 

“We grabbed dessert after and I made sure to bring this one home just for you. It was the last piece of blueberry cream cake, which I know you love,” Sana said with a smile, reaching over for the cake and bringing it in front of them. Mina remembered a date she had with Sana where she had swooned over this cake and couldn’t help but feel bad she had felt any amount of jealousy in that moment. Sana worked so hard to make her feel special, she could see it in all the thoughtful gestures. 

“How do you do it, Sana? How do you still manage to make everyone feel special when you’ve got dedicated time with others? And then also still have time for yourself?” Mina asked. Sana smiled, moving a bite of cake slowly to Mina’s mouth, who graciously accepted it, savoring the familiar flavor on her tongue. 

Sana thought for a moment before replying. “I love all of you, you know. In different ways because each of you brings something different out of me and I love who I get to be when I’m around someone. It makes me feel whole and fulfilled. This also means I’m going to find you in everything. I look for Nayeon in cute animals and noodles, Jihyo in sports and charcuterie, and Momo in any delicious food and oddly enough romcoms. And do you know where I find you?”

Mina shook her head. Sana gently tucked a strand of hair behind Mina’s ear. “I find you in the sunsets, in the flowers, in this cake, in the video games I know you love, and in the moments where it’s quiet and I wonder what you’d think about what I’d just experienced.” 

Mina pouted, knot subsiding, chest feeling full of affection for the other girl. She didn’t know. She had no idea Sana thought about it this way. 

“You know, it’s ok to feel jealous. I think that’s pretty normal. But I’m glad you brought this to me so we could talk about it and I could try and work through it with you. How are you feeling?” 

Mina moved the cake aside and curled into Sana’s lap, smiling up at the other girl. “Better, I think. I know you love me, sometimes it just gets a little tangled.”

“I know. And the thing is, it is a lot to date so many people, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know you’re feeling it out and it’s overwhelming, but luckily you don’t have to have it all figured out now. What are you most looking forward to right now?” Sana asked. 

“Our date this weekend. And my date with Nayeon. And walking with Chaeyoung again. I think?” Mina replied. 

“I’m excited for our date too this weekend! But let’s focus on those things first and work our way down?” 

Mina nodded. “Can we just sit like this for a little while first?” 

“Of course, love,” Sana hummed, grabbing a bite of cake for herself. As Mina lay there, she wondered how she got so lucky to have such a kind and thoughtful partner.

Chapter Text

One of Tzuyu’s favorite activities after a long day at work, aside from seeing Chaeyoung, was wandering around the mall. She typically didn’t buy anything, but she liked to imagine buying things. Each store held a different form of healing for her. Clothing stores distracted her from her day as she imagined what she might wear and what clothes she would pair a new piece with. The Apple store made her feel poor, and sometimes she needed that humbling. Candle and soap stores were calming, soothing any anxiety as she checked out all of the different scents. And toy stores made her smile, the memories of her own childhood coming to mind and brightening her darker days.

It had, unfortunately, been a darker day at work. That was often the case when she was assigned to hospital duty instead of the private practice she shifted back and forth between. She had already wandered through the toy store on the first floor, where there were shelves lined with Barbies and toy cars and plushies, almost to an overwhelming extent. She began to make her way around the second floor, unable to remember which toy stores were up there. She was in such a mood that she was actually considering buying something, though she had no idea what.

The Lego Store appeared on the horizon, and suddenly the idea of working on a small kit that evening didn’t sound too bad. She’d only made two models in her entire life, but she’d lost herself in them each time. She could use that again tonight if she wasn’t seeing Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu made her way into the store and perused the aisles. She wanted something easy—not something that would frustrated her. She was so focused on her Lego hunt that it wasn’t until someone next to her cleared their throat that she looked up, about to apologize and move out of their way.

Wait a minute.

“Mina?” Tzuyu blinked, as if she were expecting Mina to disappear.

“Hey, Tzuyu,” Mina said with a shy smile. “I didn’t pin you for a Lego girl.”

“I’m not,” Tzuyu admitted. “But it was a long day and I want something easy to take my mind off it all.”

Mina’s face lit up. “Can I help you find a model? I know a thing or two about them.”

When Mina giggled, Tzuyu begrudgingly admitted she could see what Chaeyoung saw in her. She was very sweet, very cute, and very thoughtful. And Mina was a model to top it all off.  Insecurity gripped Tzuyu somewhere deep in her stomach. How could she, with her somewhat sarcastic and slightly too realistic worldview, ever compete with Mina? Tzuyu knew she was pretty, but she wasn’t always dressed in beautiful clothes or wearing perfect makeup like Mina was. Tzuyu looked at her again and realized Mina actually wasn’t wearing makeup today—she just naturally looked like that. Tzuyu frowned as she thought of the layers of concealer she had on to hide the circles under her eyes.

“Or not,” Mina said quickly, clearly mistaking Tzuyu’s frown as rejection.

“No, I’d actually like that a lot.” Tzuyu schooled her face back into a smile.

Mina led the way, and began showing Tzuyu model after model. After giving Mina a price range, they ended up with five options. Tzuyu sighed. She was too tired to make even this unimportant of a decision.

“Can you pick for me, actually? I’d appreciate the surprise of it.”

Mina nodded, then examined the choices in front of them.

“Okay, close your eyes and put out your hands.”

Tzuyu did as Mina asked, and soon a box was placed in her hands.

“Okay, open!”

Tzuyu opened her eyes to see that Mina had chosen the mermaid model.

“I picked it because it seems like you could use an escape from our world, and water is calming.”

“Thanks,” Tzuyu said, touched by the level of thought Mina had put into her choice. “I’ll send you a picture when it’s done.” As Tzuyu moved toward the checkout counter, she realized she didn’t know why Mina was in the Lego store. “What brings you here, actually? Out of kits already?”

“Oh, no, of course not.” Mina said it as if the idea was ridiculous. “I’m actually picking out models for my date with Nayeon tomorrow night.”

“Oh,” Tzuyu said, struggling to compute that information. “Do you, um, want help?” It only seemed right to offer since Mina had helped her so much.

“No, but thanks. I have a vague idea of what I want.” Mina smiled at Tzuyu again. “But I had a lot of fun with you. Have a relaxing night, Tzuyu.”

Tzuyu said goodbye, leaving the store as soon as she purchased the kit. As she headed home, she kept going over what Mina had said. A date with Nayeon. Nayeon. Not Chaeyoung. Not Chaeyoung. Did that mean Chaeyoung was all hers? At least for now?

Tzuyu hadn’t planned on seeing Chaeyoung that night, but now that she knew she wasn’t with Mina, she couldn’t resist calling her once she got home.

“Tzu! What are you up to tonight?” Chaeyoung’s voice sounded like the sun, if the sun could speak.

“Oh, I was going to work on a Lego kit I got…” Her voice trailed off. She realized now that she’d called Chaeyoung because she wanted to see her. “But if you’re free, maybe we could get ice cream or something?”

“How about you come over? I’m in the middle of a project, but I’d really like to see you, if you don’t mind putting up with me being a bit distracted.”

“I’ll bring a book.” Tzuyu raced to her room, grabbing the book she was reading off her nightstand, Lego kit forgotten. “I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

“Perfect. The door will be open.”

Tzuyu couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading across her face as she walked to Chaeyoung’s house. She pushed the door open, carefully placing her shoes on the rack before bounding off to Chaeyoung’s room.

Tzuyu felt entirely different around Chaeyoung than she did around anyone else. She felt giddy, like the stereotypical school girl around her crush, and she felt nervous, like she’d swallowed butterflies, as overused as the metaphor was. Chaeyoung was a shot of adrenaline straight into her veins, and she couldn’t deny that she was addicted to her.

“Hi,” Tzuyu said with a little giggle as she pushed open Chaeyoung’s door.

“Baby! I’m so excited to see you! I didn’t expect to.” She stood up, wrapping her arms around Tzuyu, squeezing her tightly. “Was it a long day?”

“Very,” Tzuyu said. When Chaeyoung pulled away, Tzuyu leaned down and kissed her, the butterflies acting up even more once their lips touched. “But seeing you has made it all better.”

Seeing Mina had helped, too, so Tzuyu felt a bit guilty that she was omitting that information from Chaeyoung. She didn’t want to remind her of Mina, because maybe then she would just drop her entirely. Tzuyu knew it was dumb, but she had to let herself believe it for now. She just wanted to enjoy her unexpected time with Chaeyoung.

“What are you working on?” Tzuyu looked at the easel in the center of Chaeyoung’s room, a tarp spread out underneath it. Chaeyoung was dressed in old clothes, loose and worn, and now paint-splattered.

“It’s a self portrait, actually,” Chaeyoung said, taking Tzuyu’s hand and leading her over.

Tzuyu studied the canvas, entirely confused by what she saw. There was a human neck, but everything else was distinctly not human. There were objects, animals, even foods sprouting where the head should be.

“It’s a study of what makes me me, ” Chaeyoung said. “I want to have it ready for the art show.”

“Don’t let me distract you, then,” Tzuyu said. “I’ll just read for a bit.” Before Tzuyu could even take out her book, her stomach grumbled. In her rush to get to Chaeyoung, she’d entirely forgotten about dinner, and her lunch had been abysmal and rushed.

“Didn’t eat yet?” Chaeyoung asked. “There’s food downstairs if you want some. I already ate, otherwise I’d join you.”

“I’ll go grab a bite and be right back,” Tzuyu said, kissing Chaeyoung before leaving. She was getting a bit more comfortable in the house now, and she made sure she contributed somehow whenever she ate something. Usually, it was in the form of bringing over the other girls’ favorite snacks. They seemed pleased with that exchange.

Tzuyu was surprised to see she wasn’t alone in the kitchen, though, taking into account how many people lived in the house, statistically, she figured she shouldn’t be surprised.

“Hey,” Momo said with a tired nod. “Are you here visiting Chaeyoung?”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu said. “Are you here visiting…” Tzuyu’s voice trailed off as she tried to remember who Momo was dating. She was drawing a blank.

“Sana,” Momo said with a little laugh. “I know, it’s a lot to keep straight.”

“Straight,” Tzuyu said with a dry laugh.

“That it’s not,” Momo said. “Do you want some food? I was just making mac and cheese from a box.”

“I’d really appreciate that.” She saw tomatoes on the counter. “Want me to cut those up?”

“Please,” Momo said.

Momo seemed… off. A bit sad, maybe? As much as she sometimes hated it, Tzuyu felt herself slipping into therapist mode. She’d become a psychiatrist to help people, yes, but also because she liked to solve mysteries. Maybe it was controversial to call people’s feelings mysteries, but right now Momo’s feelings sure seemed mysterious, and Tzuyu was both a good detective and a good helper.

“Is something on your mind?” Tzuyu was careful to keep her voice casual and not too soft like she might with a patient.

“Oh, it’s boring,” Momo said, staring down into the boiling water. “I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

“I doubt it’s boring,” Tzuyu said. “And the only way for me to find out if it is is for you to tell me,I suppose.” She shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant.

“It’s Nayeon,” Momo said without any more prodding. “She has a date with Mina coming up and I’m feeling…” She paused, as if searching for the right word. “I feel a bit insecure. Like I’m not enough. Which is dumb because this is, like, the point of polyamory, right? To date multiple people? But she seems so excited, and I feel like she doesn’t have that energy about our relationship anymore.” Momo poured in the noodles, the steam rushing up toward her face. “What if she doesn’t want me anymore?”

Tzuyu was silent for a moment, trying to get her thoughts in order. She could certainly relate to Momo. But was it more helpful for Momo to hear that, or should she keep her own emotions out of it?

“Has anything about your relationship with Nayeon changed, aside from the perceived levels of excitement on her end?” Tzuyu went with the more clinical approach for now.

“Hmm, no,” Momo said, mulling it over. “I actually felt really secure in our relationship up until I saw Nayeon flirting with Mina. I mean, we both have other girlfriends, so it shouldn’t impact me or make me feel a certain way, right? This is normal for us.”

“I don’t think we can control our emotions to that extent,” Tzuyu said. “Is this a polyamory issue, or is it something you’re going through?”

“Oh, ouch,” Momo said with a little laugh. “I guess I never considered it.” She stirred the noodles in silence for a moment. “What about you and Chaeyoung? Do you feel this way?”

Tzuyu knew she was at an impasse here. She could be honest with Momo and open up to her in return, or she could keep the focus on Momo like she would in a session with a patient.

Momo isn’t a patient. She’s a…friend?

“I feel like most of my issues stem from polyamory,” Tzuyu began. “I feel threatened by her potential relationship with Mina, but it’s also not my place to stop her. I signed up for this when I chose to be with her.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Momo said. “Just because you agreed to date someone who’s poly doesn’t mean they’re the only one who gets to make decisions in the relationship. Your feelings matter just as much as Chaeyoung’s. She agreed to date someone monogamous just as much as your agreed to date someone who’s polyamorus.”

Tzuyu nodded. Momo made a lot of sense.

“I feel like I shouldn’t be jealous or threatened,” Momo continued. “Especially because Mina is so sweet.”

“Exactly!” Tzuyu said. “Mina is such a genuinely good person, so of course Chaeyoung and Nayeon also want her…” But why aren’t I good enough?

“I think for me, I’m feeling insecure,” Momo said. “I’m feeling insecure about myself and my relationship with Nayeon, even if the insecurity is unwarranted. But you… I think, for you, it’s the polyamory.”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu agreed. “So what does that mean?”

“That’s up to you to decide.” She took the noodles off the stove and drained the water. “And maybe for you to talk about with Chaeyoung?”

“And I think you should talk to Nayeon,” Tzuyu said.

“We’ll see,” Momo said with a sigh. “Maybe I need to work through it a bit on my own first.”

Tzuyu bit her lip. Did she go back into therapist mode?

“For now, let’s have some mac and cheese,” Momo said, dishing it out and sliding a bowl to Tzuyu. “Our problems will still be here after dinner.”

“True,” Tzuyu agreed.

If Tzuyu had learned anything as a psychiatrist, it was that problems didn’t just disappear—they had to be steadily worn down until they were smaller, more manageable, or, in some cases, entirely gone. She didn’t know if hers was a problem that would get smaller, but it certainly didn’t feel like one that would be fully worn away. Tzuyu wasn’t quite sure what that meant for her, and especially for her and Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu was finding that the more she knew, the less she knew. If the mind was a mystery for her to unravel, maybe hers had just become the most mysterious of all.

As much as Tzuyu’s thoughts were haunting her, once she was with Chaeyoung again later that night, it was easy to forget them. When she was kissing Chaeyoung, no one else existed. When she was in Chaeyoung’s arms, she felt safe and warm. When Chaeyoung treated her like she was something precious, she believed she was. She pulled Chaeyoung close, ignoring the fact that she’d have to get up at 4:30 AM to get back to her place, get ready for the day, and be to work on time. It was worth it. It was always worth it for Chaeyoung.

Chapter Text

Nayeon frantically vacuumed her apartment, looking at the clock on the wall and begging the arms to go slower. She was taking Momo to Jihyo’s and picking up Mina in a couple hours and she still had dishes to do because she had in fact tried to cook for this date, and failed epically. Luckily, Momo had come in and salvaged what she could and was currently repairing the meal as much as possible. 

“Ok, I couldn’t use any of your sauce because it’s impossibly burned. And by that, I mean that I have no idea how you burned it the way you did, but I don’t think this pan will be usable after its session with you. It still tastes good though, surprisingly,” Momo yelled across the kitchen over the vacuum. It wasn’t unusual for them to help each other out with their dates, Nayeon would often give Momo ideas and help her with her outfits, and Momo would try and fix whatever went wrong with Nayeon’s overly ambitious date ideas. 

They had been dating for so long, but something about this moment was touching for Nayeon. She set down the vacuum and walked over to the girl, holding her from behind. She inhaled deeply, taking in more than just a scent from her partner. 

“You really are the best and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Who else would be able to come in and save me like this, I love you so much,” Nayeon whispered, noticing how Momo relaxed into her arms. “Are you excited for your date with Jihyo tonight?”

Momo turned around and wrapped her arms around Nayeon’s waist, facing the girl. “Yeah, I am.” Nayeon had been around Momo long enough to know when something was wrong. She saw how Momo’s face was turned down, how her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, how her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. 

Nayeon moved her hand to push a stray strand of hair behind Momo’s ear. “What’s going on, baby. Are you ok?” Something stiffened in Momo, but given the way Momo softened after and leaned into Nayeon’s shoulder, Nayeon knew to give her time and not to push it. 

“Can you just um keep telling me what you appreciate about me?” Momo asked softly. Nayeon pulled back quickly, concern evident in her eyes, confusing Momo. 

“Baby how long have you got?” Nayeon asked, eliciting a small chuckle from Momo. 

Nayeon grabbed both of Momo’s hands and made eye contact, going on and on about how much she loved Momo. With each point she could see Momo’s spirit lifting, to the point where they were both giggling messes. Loving Momo had always been easy, since the day they met Nayeon knew she would love her. She just wasn’t sure how much. And what was crazy was that it just kept growing everyday. Nayeon tried to make sure she knew, but recognized that perhaps she had been failing recently. She vowed to do better. 

Unfortunately, the words turned into actions and actions turned into time that they didn’t quite have. 

“Oh shit, we need to go,” Momo said, head whipping up when she realized. They both jumped up and started getting dressed, running around to try and tidy at the same time. Nayeon grabbed her phone to text Mina that they were running late and went to brush her teeth. She found Momo doing the same and gave her a quick squeeze before running to put the dishes in the dishwasher. 

Pick ups and drop offs were always a little awkward. Since they were one of the few households that lived outside of the commune (everyone lovingly referred to it as this), it was a nice quiet spot to get away from the noise. Luckily with how busy everyone’s schedules were, there wasn’t as much negotiating around the space as there was informing. Something felt a little different today as Nayeon drove Momo down the road to Jihyo’s. 

“You feeling ok baby?” Nayeon asked, gently rubbing Momo’s hand with her thumb. She could see the thoughts bubbling in Momo’s mind, and while Nayeon had an inkling of what was going on, she wanted to hear it from Momo’s mouth before she said anything. 

Momo picked at a hangnail on Nayeon’s thumb. “Yeah, just a little nervous for my date with Jihyo. I’m not great at rock climbing so I’m kind of nervous for our climbing date.” Nayeon sighed. Momo would come to her when she was ready.

As they chatted through the worst case scenarios and made some jokes, the mood lightened a bit and Momo seemed a little more calm. They walked up to the door, Nayeon reaffirming Momo that they’d be ok, giving her a kiss on the cheek before they knocked on the door. 

Jihyo opened the door, excitedly greeting the both of them while Momo quickly excused herself to the bathroom. Jihyo gave Nayeon a look, eyebrows furrowed. 

“I think she’s feeling a little jealous, but she won’t talk to me about it so all my attempts to validate are broad and not that helpful.” Nayeon felt a little sad, knowing her partner felt a certain way and couldn’t help her feel better. 

Jihyo gave Nayeon a hug. “If she won’t talk to you, unfortunately you really can’t help. She will come when she’s ready, I’m sure.”

“Thanks, Hyo. Also she doesn’t want to look stupid falling on her ass so be careful with that,” Nayeon chuckled. 

“Nayeon!” 

Nayeon looked up, ears immediately perking up as her eyes found Mina walking down the stairs. Mina sauntered down in a flowy white tracksuit, hugging her body in all the right places. She had always been drawn to Mina, and in this moment she felt her heart beat in a new way. It was strange how she could feel the blush running from her cheeks to her ears. 

“For the first time in her life, Nayeon was rendered speechless,” Jihyo joked as she watched the scene unfold. Momo returned from the bathroom and chuckled, although her face fell ever so slightly. “We should probably get going?”

Momo nodded, Nayeon leaning over to give her a kiss before she walked away with Jihyo. Nayeon then ran over to Mina, hugging and lifting the girl, spinning her around as they giggled. 

“You look stunning,” Nayeon said quietly as she set the girl down. 

“I’m just in a tracksuit, Nayeon,” Mina blushed. “We are doing legos, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“I hope to see a lot more, but I’m just saying. You shouldn’t be looking this good in that, no wonder you’re a model,” Nayeon sighed as she laced their hands together and led Mina to her car. 

The drive back to Nayeon’s was mostly them catching up on their days, Mina bringing up what her next week looked like travelwise and Nayeon discussing her work and what she would be up to as well. Things were so easy with Mina. Conversation would flow well, and even if there was the occasional lull, they were able to get right back to it. 

Nayeon opened the door for the other girl, quickly running in and fluffing the pillows on the couch before offering Mina a seat on it. Mina giggled before setting her bags on the table and settling onto the couch. 

“You know, I’ve actually never been here before,” Mina said quietly, taking it all in. 

“Oh really? Not even for my birthday last year?” 

“No, I was in Bangkok for a shoot.” 

Nayeon was in the kitchen assembling the dinner Momo had helped with. “Ah, well welcome! Dinner is almost ready, I’m calling it the NaMo surprise because well. I tried to make it and Momo fixed it, and she was surprised by how bad I messed it up.” 

Mina laughed, and Nayeon melted a little at the sound. “I can’t wait to try it.” 

As they sat down and ate, Nayeon couldn’t help but wonder about the other girl. What her childhood was like, what her go to snack was, if she had a favorite color. It felt so fresh and so new, but also so familiar at the same time. It was surprisingly easy to open up too, and she welcomed those conversations as she struggled to follow the directions for the legos. 

In Nayeon’s defense, she would’ve crushed any sort of physical activity. But here she was, sitting with a variety of green pieces, hoping that they’d snap together correctly. The instructions made no sense and the longer she looked at it, the more frustrated she became. Mina looked at Nayeon’s pile of legos and giggled. 

“You’re really not good at this, huh,” Mina teased, to which Nayeon immediately pouted. “It’s ok it’s ok, I said I would help you!”

“Minaaaa it’s so hard! I don’t know how you do it and now these ones are stuck together and I can’t get them apart,” Nayeon whined. Mina leaned over and grabbed the pieces from Nayeon, showing her how to use the tool to separate them. 

Nayeon admired the way Mina quietly put the pieces together, fingers gently grasping each piece and carefully studying the pamphlet before snapping each piece into place. She liked the way Mina’s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly as she took apart something Nayeon had messed up on, but she never scolded her. Instead, she was validating and understanding, noting some things for Nayeon to pay attention to in the future. She also noted how they both blushed when their fingers brushed trying to turn the page of the instructions. 

Mina was patient, and despite Nayeon’s frustrations and lack of ability to follow instructions, they managed to finish the flower lego set together. 

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Mina giggled as Nayeon sighed and laid her head in Mina’s lap. Nayeon felt really comfortable with the girl. Not that she wasn’t super touchy feely in general, but something about this moment felt extra safe to her. She didn’t know if it was the way Mina had immediately started running her hands through her hair, or if it was the way she smelled. She closed her eyes briefly to take it in. 

Nayeon blinked slowly, eyes heavy with sleep. Where was she? “Oh my god did I fall asleep?” 

“You did, you even snored a little, too,” Mina giggled. She had opened up another lego box and had started working on it. 

“I did no such thing, Momo swears up and down that I don’t!” Nayeon had a hard time sleeping around new people, and while Mina wasn’t quite new, she still hadn’t expected to fall asleep in her lap. That was usually an eighth or tenth date kind of thing. 

“Maybe I’m more comfortable, there’s a little drool there also,” Mina teased. Nayeon blushed a deep red, mortified that this had been their first date. “It’s cute, don’t worry. And you weren’t even asleep for that long, I’ve barely started this one.”

“I’m so sorry, Mina, I’ve just had a long day and-”

“Hey, don’t even worry about it. I still think you’re so cute and you falling asleep adds to that. You’re like a little puppy,” Mina cut in with a beaming smile.  

Nayeon found herself pouting, something that she didn’t usually do until she was comfortable with someone else. Her eyes widened as Mina leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “No need to pout, you are somehow even cuter.” Nayeon’s face flushed red as she was completely caught off guard. She didn’t expect Mina to be so bold, and yet here they were. She could still feel the heat radiating off her cheek from where Mina’s lips had just been. She couldn’t help but wish Mina had lingered a little longer, perhaps in other places, but she figured it would happen eventually. She was willing to wait. 

Mina offered some of the pieces to Nayeon, but she shook her head and opted to continue laying in Mina’s lap. This girl really had no bad angles. Nayeon looked up at her and noted how perfect she looked in the poor lighting provided by her apartment. 

“What’s up?” Mina asked, a confused look on her face. Nayeon had probably been staring at her for a little too long. She wasn’t one to shy away from saying what was on her mind, so she decided to take the leap. 

“You are so beautiful, I just feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be here with you. Even when I mess up all your legos,” Nayeon said sheepishly. 

And then Mina smiled at her, and Nayeon couldn’t quite describe it, but it was as if someone had squeezed all the air out of her lungs and suddenly she was floating above everyone, watching fireworks in the sky. If this was what it felt like when Mina smiled, what would a kiss do?

Mina was about to say something when a notification flashed across her screen and she realized what time it was. “Oh, I need to get home. I’ve got that early shoot tomorrow.”

Nayeon nodded and got up, helping Mina up after. Mina insisted on leaving the legos there so Nayeon could learn on her own and give it a try. Nayeon was about to say no when Mina offered a dessert date if she finished it, and that was an offer she couldn’t resist. 

It was a quick drive, Nayeon making sure to get out of the car, open Mina’s door, and walk her up to the house. The banter continued effortlessly and they were both giggling as they got to the door. 

“Are you coming in?” Mina asked, hand on the door knob. 

“Oh, no, I need to go home and do the dishes before whatever I originally made sets and I have to throw out my pots and pans,” Nayeon laughed, a similar smile on Mina’s face. 

They said a quick goodbye, Nayeon not wanting to push for a kiss just yet. Well, she wanted to, but she felt like Mina should be the one to initiate. And her cheek was still warm from Mina’s kiss earlier. She felt on top of the world as she walked away. 

“By the way,” Mina started, Nayeon instantly turning around to look at the girl again. “I feel just as lucky getting to go out with you, too.” 

Nayeon couldn’t contain the grin that immediately lit up her face, running back to the door to give Mina one more hug, wishing her luck in her travels. The drive back was easy, and Nayeon felt lighter than she had in awhile. Her thoughts briefly drifted to Momo, and she hoped that the other girl was having a good time. Hopefully she hadn’t fallen. She figured she would hear about it tomorrow, and for now she would go home to do the dishes and try to finish the lego set left on her coffee table. 

Chapter Text

Dahyun was counting down the minutes until her shift ended. She’d been on her feet since 8:30 AM and it was nearing 5 PM. Even her comfy shoes with the good inserts couldn’t save her feet from aching.

Just as she was about to log out of her account for the day and hand off to the next pharmacist, a new order pinged through with a red flag attached to it. She groaned to herself as she opened it.

Ativan, 1 mg, to be taken three times daily
Requested by Dr. Chou

Dahyun set about filling the prescription and preparing the needed paperwork. She was about to send it to the proper floor when someone ran up to the desk.

“Stop! I sent the wrong order!” A breathless Tzuyu stood in front of her. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Dahyun in front of her.

“Tzuyu?” Dahyun said slowly, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“You work here?” Tzuyu said at the same time.

“I do,” Dahyun said, still puzzling out the situation. “You do, too?” She wondered how she didn’t already know this about Tzuyu, but then she realized she didn’t really know her that well.

“Sometimes,” Tzuyu said. “I switch between here and a private practice. I’ve been working since 7:30 this morning and I just… made a mistake in the last request.” Her shoulders deflated a bit.

“Hey, no worries. I didn’t send it to the floor yet.” Dahyun smiled as she took the bottle and peeled the label off, returning the medication to the proper container. “Did you bring the new script?”

Tzuyu handed her a paper script—it’d been a while since Dahyun had seen one of those—and Dahyun set about filling the new order.

“My shift is almost over, too,” Dahyun said as she handed the bottle over to Tzuyu. “I was going to get some hot pot. Would you like to go too? No pressure!” Dahyun was suddenly nervous. She was always worried about being rejected, and Tzuyu barely knew her, so why would she agree?

“That sounds amazing,” Tzuyu said with a small smile. “I’m off in twenty minutes. I’ll meet you in the lobby?”

“Sounds good,” Dahyun said.

Dahyun closed out her account and chatted with the pharmacist who was taking over, then made her way to the lobby to meet Tzuyu.

“Where are we headed?” Tzuyu appeared behind her, a serious look on her face. Dahyun was beginning to get the impression that Tzuyu always looked serious.

“There’s a place three blocks away that I go to after long days when I don’t feel like cooking,” Dahyun said.

The two girls walked in tandem down the busy sidewalk, dodging other people leaving their jobs and rushing to catch buses, trains, or taxis.

“Here it is!” Dahyun led Tzuyu into a restaurant that looked pretty run down from the outside, but she swore they had the best hot pot in the city. It was warm and welcoming inside, and the girls were served hot tea as soon as they sat down.

Tzuyu drank hers right away, sighing and slumping back in her seat a bit.

“Long day?” Dahyun asked, unsure of what else to say.

“I hate hospital days,” Tzuyu said. “It’s always so…” She was silent for a moment. “It’s a bit sadder to me than when I’m at the private practice. Most of the people I work with in the hospital will fully recover, but there are a few people who I’ve realized come back not long after they’re released. They don’t have a support network when they leave.” Tzuyu frowned into the remains of her tea. “I always wish I could do something more for them.”

Something in Dahyun’s heart moved at Tzuyu’s words.

“That must be hard,” Dahyun said. “You have to remember that you’re a force of good in their lives, though. You care, and I’m sure they feel that.”

Tzuyu nodded. “Being a pharmacist must be nice in that regard,” she said. “In a hospital setting, you must not have to talk to patients often?”

“If they have a question about their medication I sometimes do,” Dahyun said. “But mostly I deal with doctors and nurses. They can be their own kind of demanding.” She chuckled. “I guess both of our jobs have their ups and downs.”

“They sure do,” Tzuyu agreed.

They placed their orders and the waiter refilled their tea. Tzuyu downed it again, causing Dahyun to raise an eyebrow.

“Are you wishing that was something harder?”

“Ha ha,” Tzuyu said. “Maybe. I just want to sleep.”

“Same,” Dahyun said.

“But…” Tzuyu paused. Dahyun realized she did that whenever she had to gather her thoughts. “What do you think of the situation we’re in?”

“What do you mean?” Dahyun asked.

“Well, we’re both in this… poly family? I don’t know what to call it. A polycule?”

“That sounds right,” Dahyun said. “I guess we are involved in it. Me because I live there, and you because of Chaeyoung.”

“Yeah, but…” Tzuyu sighed. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for it.” She bit her lip as if the words had escaped of their own volition. “I really like Chaeyoung, though, so I’m trying.”

“It’s a whole new world. I’m definitely still learning,” Dahyun admitted. “They were really nice to give me a place to stay, though. Everyone seems really kind and friendly.”

Tzuyu nodded, but didn’t say much else. They made idle chatter about the hospital, stories about some of the staff they both knew, and Dahyun found out Tzuyu loved to bake, as well.

“This weekend I’m baking bread,” Dahyun said. “I always mess it up, but I’m determined this time.”

“Bread is hard, but it’s so rewarding to get right. I could always help sometime, if you wanted,” Tzuyu offered.

“That would be fun!” Dahyun glanced at her phone. “It’s kind of late now. Should we head out?”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu said. She drank the last of her (fourth) cup of tea. “It was nice having dinner with you. Maybe we can do it again?”

“Definitely,” Dahyun said.

She bid Tzuyu a goodnight and started the journey home, nearly falling asleep on the train at one point. When she got off at her stop, her legs were so tired that she worried they wouldn’t carry her home. She finally pushed through the door with a sigh of relief, and right in the kitchen, in rather revealing pajamas, was Sana.

“Dahyun! Welcome home!” Sana said with a smile that looked like literal sunshine. “It’s so late!” She frowned at the clock. “You must be exhausted.”

“A bit,” Dahyun said with a small smile. “So I’ll go get ready for bed now. Goodnight, Sana.”

“Goodnight, Dahyunnie.” Sana paused. “Is it okay to call you that?”

“Um, yes, it is,” Dahyun said, a blush overtaking her face. “Goodnight!” She raced up the stairs to her room, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.

What was all of that about? She wondered. She shook her head. She had to get ready for bed—she had to be back at work at 8:30 tomorrow.

Dahyun prepared for bed, but the whole time Sana’s face, her smile, the way her head tipped back a bit when she laughed, played in her mind. As she tried to sleep, Sana calling her Dahyunnie sounded on repeat, like a song she never wanted to turn off. When she eventually drifted off, it was with a shy smile on her face, even though Sana couldn’t see her. Even in the darkness of night, and the privacy of her room, Sana brought out something in her she’d never felt before. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she realized she wanted to find out.

And she got a chance to find out a bit more the next morning.

It started out normally: up at 6, shower, dry hair, get dressed, sunscreen, and onto breakfast. That’s where things veered from the norm.

Dahyun was normally the only one in the kitchen at this hour—Chaeyoung was already at the cafe and any of the other girls were downstairs yet. But when Dahyun rounded the corner, Sana was standing there like a vision in a knit black dress that hugged all of her curves, her auburn hair silky smooth, sunglasses perched atop her head… Dahyun had to stop herself from gapping.

“Fancy seeing you here again,” Sana said with a little giggle. “I guess you’re an early riser, huh?”

“W-work,” Dahyun said, internally berating herself for not saying a full sentence.

“Same,” Sana said. “I fly out for a shoot in Japan today. I’ll be back tomorrow evening, but I’m always sad to leave my girls.” Her eyes bored into Dahyun. “We should get together sometime after I get back.” Her eyes scanned Dahyun, and Dahyun suddenly felt laid bare in front of her. “Think it over,” she said with a little smile before flitting out of the room.

Dahyun felt like she was moving through a dream as she prepared her toast and eggs, almost burning both of them. She drank them with her usual cold water because she’d read somewhere that it was good to drink a cold drink upon waking, but she had no idea how true that was.

After that, she left, making her way to the cafe where Chaeyoung worked. It had a cozy vibe—hanging plants and window seats with cushions—but it was busy, no one pausing to sit on those comfy window seats this early in the morning. When Dahyun got to the counter, Chaeyoung gave her a tired smile.

“Usual?” Chaeyoung asked.

“Yep,” Dahyun said, ready to hand Chaeyoung the exact amount in bills and change.

“Dahyun?” Tzuyu stepped toward the counter. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I come here every morning,” Dahyun said, joining Tzuyu off to the side as they waited for their orders.

“Ah, I guess I only come here when I work at the hospital.” They stood in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. Dahyun found it oddly comfortable.

“Babe, your drink is ready!” Chaeyoung hollered. Tzuyu leaned over the counter and gave Chaeyoung a quick kiss as she grabbed her drink. When she pulled away, her face was beet red.

“Yours too, bro,” Chaeyoung mumbled to Dahyun.

Dahyun chuckled at her friends.

“See you later, Chae.” She turned to Tzuyu. “Want to walk together?”

“Sure,” Tzuyu said, leading the way. She held the door open for Dahyun, and Dahyun felt it again—that strange something she couldn’t name.

“So, another day at the hospital?” Dahyun asked as they hurried down the busy sidewalk.

“Ugh, yeah,” Tzuyu said with a groan. “But the rest of the week will be at the private practice.”

They reached the lobby, and Tzuyu turned to face Dahyun.

“It’s been fun. See you around?”

“See you, Tzuyu. I hope your day goes well.”

Dahyun watched Tzuyu walk away before heading to the pharmacy. She was in for another day of filling orders, talking to doctors and nurses and maybe even patients, and doing boring paperwork. But it was fine by her. Her heart was so twisted up that she looked forward to the known, to something she knew how to do.

Medicine, she could handle. Love, or whatever this was… that was a whole other question she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer.

Chapter Text

Mina laid down in the first class cabin, finally settling in as she watched the rest of the passengers walk to the back of the plane. She heard a baby faintly cry and went to put her headphones on. She checked her phone to look at the messages she needed to reply to before she took off. 

Momo: have a safe flight 😘

Chaeyoung: I’m thinking of you, excited to see your pictures and hear about your trip!

Nayeon: still working on the legos but it’ll be done before you get home 😤 miss you already 🥺

She sighed and set down her phone, looking at the vents on the ceiling. She wasn’t much of a texter anyways, but given the traveling and her relationships, it was a necessary evil for her to conquer. She saw Sana’s head peeking over into her suite, smiling wide as she entered the space. Mina loved being able to travel with Sana and spend time together, she was always a welcome distraction. 

“How are you doing, love?” Sana said as she weaseled her way into Mina’s arms. 

“Good, ready for the shoot.” Mina took a deep breath. “I’m a little overwhelmed, too.” 

“About the shoot?” Sana asked, eyes full of concern. Mina shook her head. She loved work, she felt like it was the one thing she knew how to do well since it came so easily to her. The posing, the outfits, the makeup, the glamour of it all. She would never admit it but she also loved feeling attractive and the way people treated her as a result of that. However, there was always a lingering thought in the back of her mind that people might just like her because she was pretty, and not for who she was. Luckily, she had Sana who also understood that deeply. 

“No, I’m just... overwhelmed by women.” Mina had to laugh at the sentiment, it felt silly to complain about. There were so many beautiful women vying for her attention and here she was worried about what to text back. It was so small but she was frozen trying to figure out what to do, to the point where she thought it might be easier not to respond at all. 

Sana kissed her on the cheek and nodded. “Seems like that’s been an ongoing thing, what’s going on?” 

Mina had an inkling about what was going on but she hadn’t quite been able to verbalize it yet. Maybe this flight would be the time to do so. 

“Ma’am, sorry to interrupt but I’m going to need you to head to your own seat since we are about to take off,” the flight attendant said gently. Sana nodded, giving Mina a quick peck before getting up and moving to the next seat over. The downside to these seats was that Sana was only one seat over but there was still a sizable distance between them. She leaned over, trying to close the gap and Sana instinctually leaned over, too. 

“Do you think I have the capacity to love this many people at once?” Mina whispered. It was always on her mind, whether or not she was being a good enough partner to even Sana. They were always traveling, often together, but she always wondered if the other girl was getting enough from her. Then, with the addition of more people, what if she started having less time and not showing up as well? What if they needed more than what she could give? What if they left? 

Sana looked at Mina, in a way that Mina could only describe as filled with all the softness of Sana’s love for her. They had been together long enough that  Sana would always know just what Mina needed. “I think that’s something that only you can answer, but what do I tell you when you ask if you’re doing enough for me?” 

“You ask me to define what’s enough and when I can’t then you remind me that it’s up to both of us to fill our own needs, too,” Mina sighed. 

“And?”

“And that you love me as I am and want to be with me, even if I was a worm,” Mina exhaled, pouting slightly. It’s not that she resented these conversations, but Sana always made it sound so easy. She wanted to believe she was enough as she was, but it was hard for her to grapple with.

“And?” Sana smiled smugly. 

Mina’s lips tightened into the pout as her eyebrows furrowed. “And I’d be the cutest worm there ever was.” 

“I know it’s hard, baby, but I’ve seen you trying. I hope it’s getting easier, but I do think they like you for you, you know? So don’t worry too much, just do whatever feels best to you,” Sana shrugged, pulling out her phone and also texting back her friends and lovers. 

Mina took a deep breath, recognizing that Sana was right, and ultimately it would be worse for her if she didn’t reply at all. She started drafting replies that felt genuine to the connection and after sending them, a feeling of relief washed over her. 

“Better?” Sana said with a smile, turning her phone off for the flight. 

“Definitely,” Mina smiled back. “What movie do you want to watch?” 

“Something cute just like you!”

-
 

There wasn’t a time difference between Seoul and Tokyo, but given the photo shoots they were doing and the producers' various visions, Mina was finding it hard to schedule a time to call both Chaeyoung and Nayeon. She knew that Chaeyoung was a little more flexible, and had sent her windows of time where Mina could give her a call if she had a minute. Now was one of those times. 

Talking on the phone with Chaeyoung was easy. Chaeyoung understood the scheduling and was just happy to have time where it could be found. They talked about Chaeyoung’s newest art project and Mina loved listening to the excitement in the other girl’s voice as she discussed her projects and how her students were progressing. The world seemed so simple when she talked to Chaeyoung and there was an unspoken comfort in their relationship. Mina smiled when she noticed Chaeyoung’s tired voice. Their time was almost up anyways, Mina needed to get dressed and ready for her next shoot.  

Mina looked around at the closed set, noticing the bright colors in the ball pit that she would be lounging in for this alcohol brand. She had a tradition of stealing something from each shoot, and she figured one of the balls would be quite nice. She made small talk with the makeup artist, who she deeply respected. If she had a choice, she would bring this one with her everywhere, but for now she was only available when they were in Japan. She kind of thought the makeup artist had a thing for her, but Mina was definitely too shy to ask. 

After the shoot, Mina and Sana walked hand in hand down the street, looking at the various vendors. The air felt so familiar to Mina and she leaned over and kissed Sana on the cheek. 

“Oh, Mina, look!” Sana pointed at a table with some carved wooden animals, pulling them over to check it out. Mina’s eyes immediately went to a tiger and a bunny next to each other. She thought about all the times everyone else had brought souvenirs home to their partners, and how they might’ve been similar but they were thoughtful in their own ways. To her, Chaeyoung most resembled a tiger because of the way she fiercely loved her people. She was strong, and bold, and also very warm. Nayeon was obviously a bunny because of how cute she was and how much she liked to be cuddled. In other ways, she was also constantly moving and seemed to be a little nervous. She didn’t quite have an animal for Momo yet, so she figured she would pick up one of her favorite peach candies that could only be found in Japan. Mina looked over to see Sana with her hands full of figurines, and she couldn’t help but giggle. 

Mina picked up the bunny and tiger and grabbed a couple of the items from Sana to help her out. She couldn’t help but laugh, that girl had so much love in her heart, of course she was picking up so many souvenirs. 

“Do you want one Mina? I saw a penguin but obviously you’re here right now,” Sana said, carefully counting how many there were and making sure everyone was accounted for. Mina shook her head. 

“Nah, we can just-”

“Take a picture together, of course baby, I’d love that,” Sana cut in before leaning over and kissing Mina on the cheek. Mina loved that Sana just knew. 

After they paid, Mina looked down at her phone and realized it was almost time to call Nayeon. “I’m calling Nayeon in a bit, do you mind if I take the hotel room?”

“Yeah, that’s fine! Give me a kiss and take a picture of it though,” Sana said with a teasing pout. Mina was happy to oblige, capturing the kiss and the lights on the street. She gave Sana some additional kisses before heading back to the hotel. 

Mina laid down in the hotel room bed, opting to check social media briefly prior to her call with Nayeon. She noticed Nayeon had posted a video doing a dance challenge with Momo, followed by a blooper reel where Nayeon stumbled a little on their coffee table. She noticed that there was in fact progress on the legos, although she wasn’t sure that Nayeon would end up with the mini vespa that was pictured. It looked a little more like a fire hydrant, and she couldn’t help but giggle. She missed the girl, and luckily enough Nayeon was an influencer so there was always new content for her to watch. Mina liked the get ready with me videos the most, but she also enjoyed her attempts to cook with Momo and her instructional pilates videos, too. Her eyes went wide as she checked the viewcount of the most recent video, and she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the millions of views. Not that she herself didn’t have that many followers, but just in that so many people had access to Nayeon and appreciated her too. She wondered if her affection would be enough. 

Now that Mina thought about it, almost all her friends were pretty popular. She kept scrolling and saw Momo posted a baking video, and the scones looked delicious. The comments were raving about the recipe and how much of a culinary genius Momo was. She would have to ask about it later. Then there was Chaeyoung showcasing her most recent exhibit, extremely proud of the pieces she had worked on. Mina was excited to see it when she got back, Chaeyoung had promised a private tour. 

Nayeon’s face popped up on the screen and Mina quickly picked up the phone. On Nayeon’s request, it was a contact photo where her cheeks were full, and it never failed to make Mina laugh. Nayeon was chatty but also quick to ask questions, making sure Mina was able to give updates, too. Mina’s stomach hurt from how much she laughed talking to Nayeon, and it felt so genuine. She loved her updates and just hearing about how she viewed the world. Time flew by and Mina heard Sana’s key card swiping, the lock beeping to let her in. 

“Sana’s back so-” Mina started. 

“Is it already time? I’m bummed, I wanted to hear more about your thoughts on reality tv,” Nayeon interjected, and Mina couldn’t help but smile because she could hear the other girl pouting. 

Sana bounced onto the bed, enveloping Mina in a big hug. “Is Nayeon pouting? You don’t pout when we call! You’ll be fine, we will be home soon,” Sana teased. 

“How does everyone know I’m pouting,” Nayeon mumbled as the two Japanese girls giggled. “Well, I’ll keep at the legos, Mina. I think I’m close but Momo says it looks nothing like what’s on the box. Sana, I’m excited for our date when you get back.” 

“Keep me posted, if you send pictures maybe I can help?” Mina replied optimistically. It was the least she could do. 

“Make sure you dress appropriately, we are going to be outside so don’t layer too much,” Sana scolded. Mina giggled, knowing that Nayeon was one to put fashion over function. She remembered a winter event where Nayeon showed up in a summer dress because it was “on theme.” 

“I got it, I got it. It was nice talking to you, Mina. Excited to see you soon,” Nayeon said quickly, to which Mina quickly replied in the affirmative and they hung up. 

“How was that?” Sana asked, head now laying on Mina’s chest. 

“Not bad, I feel... good?” Mina let out a deep breath. She felt a sense of accomplishment, having finished her shoots and managed to juggle her relationships in a way that felt authentic to each of them. She laced her hand with Sana’s. “Is it cuddle time?”

“Absolutely,” Sana smiled.

Chapter Text

“Are you coming to family dinner tonight?” Tzuyu stood at the pharmacy counter and held out a bag of Oreos to Dahyun. The other girl, who looked tired and a bit frazzled, grateful took them.

“Well, I live there, so it’d be weird if I didn’t,” Dahyun said with a chuckle.

“True.” Tzuyu chewed on an Oreo as she thought it over. “Do you have a crush on anyone yet? Is the poly life rubbing off on you?”

Dahyun nearly spit out her Oreos. “Um, well…” She started to turn red and Tzuyu’s interest shot up.

She does have a crush!

“I think… Sana unnie… um…” Dahyun was truly flustered, but Tzuyu couldn’t help but laugh.

“You do have a crush!” Her eyebrows shot up. “Don’t you think Sana is a bit… well, she’s the one with the most partners already.”

“Is she?” Dahyun’s face fell a bit. “I’m not planning on pursuing it, though. She’s just… very beautiful and kind and funny and her eyes twinkle when she laughs.” Dahyun groaned. “Noooo, I didn’t want to catch feelings for somebody.”

Tzuyu chuckled. “You can’t help what your heart wants.”

“Like you with Chaeyoung?”

A serene smile found its way to Tzuyu’s face. “Exactly. My heart knows I want Chaeyoung. I’m excited for family dinner tonight.”

Excited because I’ll have Chaeyoung all to myself.

“Yeah, me, too.” Dahyun sighed. “But Sana isn’t there tonight, is she?”

“No, and neither is Mina.” Tzuyu felt guilty that this was the current source of her happiness: Mina being away in Japan. Mina was so nice, so giving, but Tzuyu couldn’t help but feel like they were competing for Chaeyoung’s heart, which she assumed was very un-poly of her. But, then, again, she wasn’t poly. She was just dating someone who was.

“Well, I guess I’ll keep getting to know everyone else,” Dahyun said. “Platonically!”

Tzuyu laughed again. She was realizing she laughed a lot around Dahyun. They had a really natural rapport, and she looked forward to seeing her during her breaks at the hospital. Suddenly, her days at the hospital weren’t so dull and drab.

Tzuyu glanced at her watch. “I better get back to my shift,” she said. “I have a session in ten minutes. But I’ll see you tonight!” She waved at Dahyun as she strode down the hall back toward her ward.

Just a few hours to go , she consoled herself.

With the thought of seeing Chaeyoung foremost in her head, the hours did speed by. Soon enough, Tzuyu was headed out of the hospital, quickly stopping by her apartment to change into something less formal. Her hospital work clothes mostly consisted of dress pants and collared shirts. It wasn’t her usual look, but it was easiest for how on-the-go those days could be. She saved her dresses for when she worked at the private practice.

Tonight, she stood in front of her closet, hands on her hips, as she tried to decide what to wear. She felt like she should be out of the phase where she was always trying to impress Chaeyoung, but maybe she never would be. She always wanted to impress Chaeyoung. She always wanted to make her remember why she liked her, why she wanted to be with her.

Me above everyone else.

After trying on at least three outfits, clothes strewn around her bedroom, Tzuyu settled on a red top and denim overalls. It gave her an artsy look, which she thought Chaeyoung might like. She touched up her makeup and smiled at herself in the mirror. She was ready .

Tzuyu made the trip to Chaeyoung’s house, excitedly ringing the doorbell. Jeongyeon was the one who answered the door, her face still in full makeup news anchor mode.

“Hey! Come on in, Tzu!” She stepped aside and smiled warmly at Tzuyu as she entered. “Chaeyoung is just getting ready, but she’ll be down in a minute, I’m sure. Make yourself at home—you know the drill.” Jeongyeon motioned to her face. “I’m gonna go wipe all of this off. I’ve been looking forward to that all day.” She hurried off, leaving Tzuyu in the kitchen.

She shucked off her shoes and made her way further into the house, to the living room, where Nayeon and Momo were… filming a tiktok? They were both mouthing the words to some viral sound, Momo slapping Nayeon at one point only for Nayeon to pounce on her with a kiss. Tzuyu knew Nayeon was an influencer, but she’d never really seen her at work like this.

“Tzuyu!” Nayeon jumped up after their last take. “Wanna be in a tiktok? The world would love your beautiful face. You could seriously be an idol!” Nayeon looked at her expectantly.

“I can’t,” she said, regretting a bit that she wouldn’t know exactly what Nayeon had in store for her. “If my patients saw me doing that… It would undermine my credibility a bit.”

“Ah, right, you’re a doctor,” Nayeon said with a little pout. “Do you think Dahyun would do one with us?”

Tzuyu laughed. “No way.” She didn’t know Dahyun that well, but she felt like she knew her well enough to answer this. “She’s even more private than I am, I think.”

“You’re stuck with me,” Momo said, wrapping her arms around Nayeon from behind, smattering her cheeks with kisses.

“Exactly where I wanna be,” Nayeon said, turning around in Momo’s arms, kissing her.

Tzuyu backed away, letting the couple have their moment. She wandered to the dining room, where Jihyo was getting takeaway containers of food out of their delivery bags.

“Want some help?” Tzuyu asked.

“Sure, thank you,” Jihyo said. “We got Italian tonight. Hope that sounds good?”

“It sounds fantastic,” she said. “Let me know how much I owe you.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “The standard, Tzu. 20,000 won.”

Tzuyu sighed. She wanted to contribute more, but Jihyo never budged on this.

“Okay, I’ll Venmo it to you.” She began to dish out delicious smelling noodles and meatballs onto their serving platters, spreading them out around the table. Jihyo had already set out cutlery and glasses.

“Baby!” Chaeyoung’s arms were around Tzuyu’s waist before she could comprehend what was happening. “I missed you!”

Tzuyu turned around and kissed Chaeyoung, melting into the taste of her strawberry chapstick.

“How was your day?” Chayeoung asked when they pulled away.

“It was okay,” Tzuyu said. “I’m glad to be done with the hospital for this week.” Tzuyu usually refrained from discussing her patients. Not only had she taken an oath, but she also liked to leave work at work, as best she could. It was hard to fully forget people who were suffering.

But Chaeyoung did a wonderful job at distracting her when she intertwined her fingers with Tzuyu’s.

“How was your day?” Tzuyu asked.

“I finished my self portrait! Wanna see it after dinner?” Chaeyoung’s smile was infectious. Tzuyu found herself smiling back.

“I would love that.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Jihyo clapped her hands together. Everyone gathered around the table without further discussion—that was Jihyo’s power.

Jihyo and Jeongyeon sat next to each other, Momo and Nayeon across from them. Dahyun quietly slipped into the dining room and took a seat next to Nayeon, who flashed her a flirty smile and whispered something that made Dahyun squirm. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung sat next to Jeongyeon, so Tzuyu had full view of whatever antics Nayeon was up to.

“Let me get this for you,” Chaeyoung said, standing up and taking Tzuyu’s plate with her. She dishes out some spaghetti and two meatballs. “This look good to you?”

“Perfect, thank you.” Tzuyu’s cheeks were tinged red as Chaeyoung set the dish down in front of her. Chaeyoung always managed to fluster her with these moves.

“So, how’s everyone doing?:” Jihyo asked once they all had full plates.

“Eh, okay,” Nayeon said with a shrug. “My analytics are off the charts.” She elbowed Momo. “We’re gonna be eating good this week, honey! I mean, I always eat good around you though—”

“NAYEON!” Jeongyeon shouted. “We still are in don’t scare away Dahyun mode!”

Tzuyu glanced at Dahyun, who did look a bit shocked by it all. She wanted to tell her that she’d had the same reaction her first few family dinners, but Nayeon’s antics eventually lost their shock value. Tzuyu simply always expected something crazy out of Nayeon’s mouth now.

“It’s just the truth!” Nayeon defended herself. “But anyway, yes, work is going well. Momo? How about you?”

“I’m good,” she said. “Excited for the weekend. There’s a new dish I’ve been dying to try out that I can’t make at the restaurant since I don’t know if it’ll be any good yet. How about you guys?” She nodded to Jeongyeon and Jihyo.

“I’m drowning in work, but what’s new?” Jihyo said with a little sigh. “I’ll be pulling some extra hours this weekend. I’ve got two divorce cases and they’re all so demanding.” She rolled her eyes. “How about you, Jeongie?”

“Jeongie,” Nayeon said with a little gag. Jihyo rolled her eyes at her.

“Don’t act like you aren’t also dating her,” Jihyo said.

“I don’t call her Jeongie . I called her something way cooler!”

“What would that be?” Jihyo challenged her.

“Wouldn’t you love to know,” Nayeon said with a wink.

“Anyway!” Jeongyeon said, interrupting their fake spat. “I’m going to some festival tomorrow for in the field coverage. It’s gonna rain all day so I need to get out my poncho, umbrella, and rain boots.” She frowned. “Why is it always crappy weather when I’m on in the field assignments?”

“You’re gonna look so cute in your poncho,” Nayeon said, reaching across the table to pinch Jeongyeon’s cheeks. “Are we still on for our date tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Jeongyeon said, her face softening. “Sleepover?”

“You got it!” Nayeon said with her signature grin. She turned to Dahyun. “What’s up with you, Dahyun?”

“Oh, just work,” Dahyun said, pushing her spaghetti around on her plate. “I’m starting a new book this weekend. Since it’ll be rainy, I’ll probably stay in and read.”

“You really like that?” Nayeon seemed perplexed.

“Some of us enjoy books,” Jihyo said, sticking her tongue out at Nayeon. “Chaeyoung? How are you doing?”

“I finished my self portrait!” Chaeyoung exclaimed proudly. “I’m becoming more and more prepared for the art show! You’re all still coming, right?” Tzuyu’s heart melted at the way Chayeoung sounded like a timid child when she asked.

They all reassured her that they would, or they could if their schedule allowed in Jeongyeon’s case.

“And my beautiful girlfriend?” Chaeyoung asked, turning to Tzuyu. “Tell us how you’re doing?”

“Oh, I’m doing great.” The words left her lips before she could stop them, but she supposed that, as long as she was with Chaeyoung, they were true. “I’m happy to be here with all of you.”

“Tzuyu is always so classy,” Nayeon said.

“Unlike you,” Momo mumbled.

“Excuse you! I bring an irreplaceable charm to the table, thank you very much.” Nayeon shoved a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.

“So, dates! What’s on the docket this week?” Jihyo asked.

“Me and Jeongyeon tomorrow,” Nayeon said. “And if I finish the legos, me and Mina… sometime.”

Tzuyu didn’t miss the way Momo deflated a bit at Nayeon’s words.

“Same for me and Sana, minus the legos. We’re in the process of scheduling. The rest of the time is with my beautiful girlfriend.” She kissed Momo’s cheek.

“I have a date with this one,” Jeongyeon pointed at Nayeon. “And then Hyo and I are getting dinner Monday and Thursday next week.”

“I’m seeing Sana Tuesday night,” Jihyo said. “And Momo… are we on for tomorrow night? Your place?”

Tzuyu found the level of scheduling rather impressive. Nayeon and Jeongyeon at the main house, Momo and Jihyo at Nayeon and Momo’s place.

“Most definitely,” Momo said, blowing Jihyo a little kiss.

“Dahyun? Anyone for you?” Nayeon grinned at her.

“N-no,” she stuttered. Tzuyu couldn’t help but think back to their earlier conversation. She wondered if that would be different if Sana was there.

“Well, if you wanna change that, you know where I live,” Nayeon said with a wink.

“No, she doesn’t, actually,” Momo said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, well in that case, you can know where I live.” Nayeon winked again, and Dahyun’s face flushed crimson.

Tzuyu couldn’t let her suffer. “Dahyun has a date with her book,” she said. “That’s plenty.”

“Yes,” Jihyo said quickly. “So let’s let her be.” She gave Nayeon a pointed glare.

Nayeon put her hands up in the air, backing off.

“What about you, Chaeyoung?” Jeongyeon asked. “What are your plans?”

“Tzuyu and I are going on two dates next week. We’re going to a farmers market on Wednesday night and dinner on Saturday.” She glanced at Tzuyu. “Maybe some casual hangouts, too?”

“Yes, please,” Tzuyu said quickly.

“Oh, and Mina and I are going on a pottery date. We aren’t sure when, though.”

Tzuyu’s heart sank. She considered art her thing with Chaeyoung, even though that was unreasonable since Chaeyoung was an artist, afterall.

“Sounds perfect,” Jihyo said. “We’ll hear from Mina and Sana in the group chat, I suppose.”

Family dinner wound down after that, all the girls helping clean up the table, loading the dishes into the dishwasher and wrapping up the extra food.

“Hey, are you up for a sleepover?” Chaeyoung tugged on Tzuyu’s sleeve. “I know it’s a bit last minute, but I just really want to hold you tonight.” She looked like a shy school girl asking out her crush. “You left some pajamas here last week and I washed them. So you could wear those?”

“I’d love to.” Tzuyu’s heart recovered a bit from the Mina news. “I’ll always say yes,” she added. She couldn’t imagine a world in which she refused a sleepover invitation from Chaeyoung.

“Then come on with me and I’ll show you my art and we can spend some quality time together.” She took Tzuyu’s hand, running her thumb over her knuckles. “I can’t wait to spend the night with you.”

Tzuyu’s heart sped up as Chaeyoung led her up the stairs. 

I’m going to be in Chaeyoung’s arms tonight.

Tzuyu glowed at the thought because Chaeyoung’s arms were, undoubtedly, her favorite place in the entire universe to be.

Chapter Text

“Momo, I need you to look a little more in pain,” Nayeon said slowly, squinting at her phone on the tripod. Currently, Momo was tied up in a Cadillac reformer, swinging slowly in the air with a bleak expression on her face. Nayeon kept recording and walked over to try and tighten one of the cords. 

“Baby, what are those fuzzy handcuffs for,” Momo smirked. Her left arm was currently swung out to the side and her right was across her body, her legs both lifted up. Nayeon had spent hours learning this machine for her testing, but her clients rarely asked to use it so it had been years since she had used it on anyone. 

Nayeon’s social media following had always been impressive, but her joint collaborations with Momo had really been taking off recently. She was trying to toe the line between authentic and staged, and while staged was easier from a planning perspective, authenticity was what actually garnered views.

She messed with one of the straps and then heard a tiny snapping noise, followed by the sound of ropes pulling and Momo falling onto the padding and subsequently onto Nayeon. They both started laughing, acknowledging how ridiculous the situation was. 

“I can show you now what the handcuffs are for if you want,” Nayeon laughed. 

***

“Nothing beats a jet2 holiday, and right now you can save £50 per person. That's £200 off for a family of four.” Nayeon giggled as she showed Momo her Tiktok she had made, this audio overlaid onto the clip of the cord snapping and their subsequent tumble. Momo laughed, and Nayeon reveled in the sound. 

“That’s amazing, our fans are going to love this,” Momo beamed. 

Nayeon hit the post button and leaned back into Momo’s arms. It was funny, when they had opened up their relationship, Nayeon’s PR team had immediately told her to keep it tucked away and to not post about it anywhere. She had dated a variety of women, each under NDA to keep it a secret, and it hadn’t really bothered her. However, now with the prospect of Mina, she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep it a secret. 

She had floated the idea to her PR team, and years later, they weren’t entirely opposed. Nayeon’s social media presence was pretty established at this point, her fanbase extremely loyal and more open minded. Mina had a similar number of followers, and an ever so slightly different demographic. Sana was also very open about her relationships, and the general public seemed to love it, which helped her build her case. Nayeon wasn’t ready to pull the trigger immediately, but she had a good feeling and wanted to be prepared. She had always felt strongly about being honest, but earlier in her career there had been less security, so now she felt like she could finally come clean. 

“Momo, have you thought more about being open about our relationships?” Nayeon asked. She felt Momo’s arms stiffen around her. Years ago because of the decision by Nayeon’s PR team, it had also forced Momo to hide her relationships with Sana and Jihyo, which both were happy to oblige but it was something Momo hadn’t liked. She hated lying. Nayeon thought that this would be a welcome conversation for her, but by the way Momo’s muscles were tensing, she could tell it wasn’t going that way. 

After what felt like hours, Momo finally broke her silence. “Is this because of Mina?” Nayeon was confused. 

“What do you mean?” 

“What I mean is, are you wanting to go public about the polyamory because you want to be able to post about Mina?” Momo replied through gritted teeth, body slowly pulling away from Nayeon. 

“I mean, we aren’t anything and this isn’t specifically about her, I just think it’d be good for my image and-”

“Bullshit,” Momo mumbled and got up, walking to their room. “I need a minute.” 

Nayeon felt tears prick her eyes. She obviously didn’t mean to hurt Momo, but here she was. She got in her car and drove over to the commune, hoping to talk to her girlfriend, Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon’s schedule as a news reporter was erratic and, while the calendar was meant to help with that, she couldn’t help it if she was called out to a sudden protest or building fire. Nayeon’s footsteps felt heavy as she walked up to the front door and she couldn’t see through her tears. She pulled the door open and immediately ran into none other than Kim Dahyun. The other girl toppled over, groceries scattered on the floor. 

“Oh, so sorry, let me help you.” Nayeon felt bad for knocking the girl over, but she wasn’t in the mental space to really talk. She did wonder what kind of diet this girl was on, there was a variety of fruit and chocolate, along with several rolls of frozen kimbap. She quickly gathered them and placed them in the bag. Unfortunately, she had crushed some of the fruit. “I’ll pay for that.” 

“No, don’t worry about it, it’s alright,” Dahyun replied quickly. They stood up together, Nayeon dusting off Dahyun, still worried about the other girl despite the distress visible on her face. She watched Dahyun blush as she tucked a stray hair behind the girl’s ear.   

“No, no, that’s probably your lunch right? What else do you like?” Nayeon asked, wondering if she could sense if Jeongyeon was home. The energy felt right but she wasn’t sure. 

“Are you ok?” Dahyun looked at her, concern visible in her eyes. Nayeon knew she wasn’t hiding it well but she also didn’t want to talk about it. 

“I’ll be better once you tell me how I can make it up to you.” 

“There’s those eclairs at Chaeyoung’s coffee shop,” Dahyun begrudgingly divulged. The other girl seemed to shrink in Nayeon’s vision. She looked up and saw Jeongyeon slinking by in pajamas. Bingo. 

“Ok, it’s a date, let’s do lunch either Wednesday or Friday, just put it on my calendar,” Nayeon said quickly, not missing the way Dahyun’s face flushed. “Jeongie, baby, I need you!” 

Jeongyeon stopped in her tracks and looked at Nayeon, not sure what was going on. In reality, Nayeon tried to never show weakness in front of other people. She would never admit she needed help in front of a stranger. However, the use of the nickname with the admission of need was sending a clear signal. 

“Let me go get the ice cream and I’ll meet you in the room,” Jeongyeon said quickly, running down to the kitchen. Dahyun had moved to the kitchen, scooping up her precious fruit and narrowly sidestepping a frantic Jeongyeon tearing through the freezer. Nayeon nodded and ran up to the room. She laid in the silk sheets of the king size bed. Jihyo and Jeongyeon sure did live a life of luxury. 

Jeongyeon returned with an armful of snacks and treats. “We didn’t have your favorite ice cream so I grabbed all the ones similar to it from different brands, and the same brand but the flavors you like. And then I grabbed some other snacks I know you usually like. What’s wrong though, why do you need me, that’s so unlike you?” Worry was evident in her voice. 

Nayeon started to cry. Jeongyeon gently placed her snacks at the foot of the bed and crawled in with the other girl, scooping her up in her arms. Nayeon ran through everything, the weirdness with Momo lately, how well things had been going with Mina recently, and her thoughts around being open about their relationship. Jeongyeon was in the same boat with her job since it was so public facing, and Nayeon would never ask her to come out. The difference was that Jeongyeon had been incredibly upset with her company asking her not to disclose her relationships. 

“I mean it is kind of for Mina, isn’t it?” Jeongyeon asked slowly, trying to tiptoe around the question but stumbling. 

Nayeon sighed. “It... it is but it’s also that I’m finally in a space where I feel secure enough to do that and that’s partially because of Momo and what we’ve built together!”

“Did you tell her that?”

“Well... no,” Nayeon sighed again. It was interesting to her how easy it was for her to tell that to Jeongyeon, and how hard it felt to tell that to Momo. She wasn’t sure why, but their relationship hadn’t historically been one that had space for feelings like this. 

“Maybe you should,” Jeongyeon shrugged. “You know I love you and want what’s best for you right? And I know this emotional side of you and I get the workaholic part of you, too. Maybe it’s time to give Momo a chance to see that.” 

Nayeon sighed, recognizing the truth in Jeongyeon’s words. She loved her relationship with Momo, it was always fun and light and she did lean on Momo when things got hard, but sometimes things were so easy they didn’t quite know how to deal with the hard things between them. She rehearsed a bit of what she would say to Momo with Jeongyeon and felt a little more at ease. She snuggled into Jeongyeon’s arms. 

“You know, we haven’t had a date night in awhile,” Nayeon pouted. “You’re always so busy.”

Jeongyeon laughed and squished her face, leaving several kisses on the other girl’s face. “I’ve always got time for you, baby.” 

Nayeon pouted even harder. “That’s not true, you’re so busy being successful and rich, love.”

“I’ll make time for you, trust me. We can go on a little date, grab some dinner-”

“What if I want something else, too?” Nayeon’s eyes glistened wickedly. 

“Then we can make time for that, too,” Jeongyeon replied with a grin. 

Jihyo walked through the door. “Oh I’m so tired, you wouldn’t believe the day I had.” Jihyo’s eyes landed on Nayeon and Jeongyeon in the bed, followed by the mountain of snacks and melting ice cream. “Oh no, what happened?” 

Nayeon quickly rehashed what had transpired, along with Jeongyeon’s advice and their current plan. Jihyo nodded along, taking it in. 

“I did notice that from the other day, but like you said, you can't do anything unless you know about it. I think Jeongyeon’s right, you need to let Momo know how much you care, even if it is about Mina.” 

“I love when you tell me I’m right,” Jeongyeon smirked and Jihyo leaned over and gave her a kiss. 

“You two are being gross, what about me?” Nayeon whined, to which both girls started kissing her on the face. Nayeon couldn’t help but giggle. 

“Hey do you guys have-” Dahyun stood in the doorway looking aghast. “Nevermind, I'll come back later.” 

“Wait, it's not what you think!” Jihyo scrambled up but Dahyun had already walked away. “That girl should try out for the Olympic speedwalking team.” 

“Isn’t it, though?” Nayeon smiled wide, leaning into Jihyo’s chest. 

“You wish,” Jihyo scoffed playfully, still wrapping her arms around the older girl. 

Jeongyeon started picking up the snacks on the bed, twisting the pints of ice cream in her hand to see if any of them were viable. 

“Sorry about all the ice cream,” Nayeon frowned. They probably should’ve put it away sooner, but she was too busy crying. 

“It’s alright, we can get more,” Jeongyeon said with a smile. “Let me go downstairs and get a bag for these and I’ll just take them out later.”

Jeongyeon walked out and Nayeon hummed in Jihyo’s arms. “She’s really the best, isn’t she?” 

Jihyo nodded, rocking Nayeon back and forth. “She really is.”

Chapter Text

Dahyun felt like she was going to pass out. She hadn’t admitted it to anyone, not even Chaeyoung, but she’d never been on a date before. Chaeyoung knew she’d never dated, but that was very different from never going on a single date. So now here she was, flowers clutched in her sweaty hands, waiting for Sana to meet her at the park.

Part of Dahyun still had no idea how she ended up here. She knew the chain of events, sure, but it still felt so surreal. It’d all started with Sana casually suggesting they get together after her modeling trip and asking Dahyun to think it over. Over the course of the next few days, Dahyun had managed to convince herself Sana didn’t mean it that way. She was just friendly, just nice, just wanted to make sure Dahyun was happily settling in.

But then Sana asked again. They’d been alone in the kitchen, early in the morning, Sana drinking a simple cup of coffee before a modeling gig as Dahyun prepared her breakfast before work, when Sana broke the silence.

“You never got back to me,” Sana said with a pout. Dahyun had to admit it—the pout made something in her stomach flutter. Were these those butterflies everyone always talked about?

“About?” Dahyun didn’t want to be delusional. There was no way Sana was referring to her quick suggestion at them getting together. No way at—

“Us.” Sana took a sip of her coffee, her eyes trained on Dahyun’s over the edge of the mug. “Us getting together,” she finished.

Now there were thousands of butterflies in Dahyun’s stomach.

“Oh, I…” Dahyun’s mind went entirely blank, and she could feel her cheeks turning bright red.

Sana giggled. “You’re so cute! I just wanna pinch those little cheeks!”

Dahyun subconsciously placed a hand on one of her cheeks.

“I thought you were just being nice,” Dahyun finally managed to say.

Sana cocked her head at Dahyun. “Being nice? I was asking you out, silly.” She took another sip of her coffee. “So…?”

“Um, yes! Let’s do it!” Dahyun cringed at herself.

Can’t you be normal for once?! This hot girl is asking you out! You have to seem somewhat cool!

“What would you like to do?” Sana asked. Her lips ticked up in a little smile as she watched Dahyun shot circuit again. “How about we take a walk at the park?” Sana took mercy on her. “We can chat, see some cute animals, maybe hold hands?”

She wants to hold hands?!

“That sounds amazing!” Dahyun’s voice felt too loud for the stillness of the house. She cleared her throat. “I mean, I can’t wait.” She tried to smile like a normal human being, but it felt all twisted on her face.

“Wonderful,” Sana said with her own smile. “I’ll text you my calendar and we’ll pick a time. It’s a date!” Sana set her coffee mug in the sink and blew a kiss at Dahyun as she left. “See you soon, Dahyunnie.”

So now, here Dahyun was, ten minutes early, awkwardly standing by a park bench, waiting for Sana to arrive. And when Sana did finally arrive—a few minutes early, even—Dahyun finally knew what people meant when they said the whole world slowed down. For Dahyun, there was only Sana. Sana in her baby blue tee that fit her form perfectly, those loose jeans torn in just the right places, sunglasses perched atop her head, auburn hair blowing gently in the breeze… Dahyun wasn’t even sure if Sana was real at this point. She was just so beautiful.

“Dahyun!” Sana jumped, waving her hands in the air. She ran up to Dahyun and opened her arms.

Dahyun awkwardly hugged Sana, her body electric wherever Sana touched her.

“I have these for you!” Sana held out a bouquet of different colored roses. “I wasn’t sure which was your favorite color, so I got them all.”

“Thank you,” Dahyun said as she took the bouquet. “Oh! Here!” She shoved her own bouquet at Sana, who had to rush to save it from falling. “Oh, I’m sorry, I, ah…”

You’re fumbling her before the date has even begun! Dahyun berated herself.

“Daisies! I love daisies!” Sana beamed at her. “Thank you, Dahyunnie, they’re lovely.” She nodded toward the trail. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Dahyun said, wanting to face palm herself already.

Sana just giggled, and then she held out her hand.

“Oh, my hands, they’re sweaty.” Dahyun frantically tried to wipe her hand on her jeans, but Sana just grabbed in, threading their fingers together.

“I don’t mind sweaty hands when they belong to someone as cute as you are.” Sana squeezed Dahyun’s hand before swinging it back and forth. “So, tell me what a day in the life of Kim Dahyun is like?”

“Not as exciting as yours,” Dahyun said quickly.

“Hey, none of that,” Sana said, suddenly serious. She stopped Dahyun in her tracks. “I already know your life is interesting. We just live different kinds of lives, is all.” She smiled at Dahyun again before tugging her forward. “So, tell me?”

Dahyun was still shocked by Sana’s speech, but she… liked it? She tucked that away for later, and tried to focus on what Sana had just asked of her instead.

“As you know, I get up pretty early,” she began.

“Ah yes, the kitchen, our usual meeting place!” Sana giggled.

“And then I take the bus and the subway to work, but first I always stop at Chaeyoung’s coffee shop and order—”

“A hot chocolate?” Sana finished for her.

Dahyun’s eyebrows shot up. “How’d you know?”

“When Chaeyoung asked us if a friend could move in, she described you as a cute hot chocolate fiend and she seemed to be very right.”

“I do love hot chocolate,” Dahyun said with a nervous laugh.

“And you’re very cute!” Sana punctuated the statement by swinging their hands again. “But continue?”

“Well, then I get to the hospital where I work as a pharmacist, and I just… fill orders? Sometimes I consult with doctors, and sometimes with patients, but usually I’m filling orders. So I’m on my feet all day, but it goes kind of fast. Hospitals are fast paced, you know?” Dahyun paused for a moment. “Oh! And Tzuyu! She works there sometimes, too, so we see each other every day now.”

“That’s really nice,” Sana said. “Tzuyu is sweet.”

“She is,” Dahyun agreed. A warm fondness spread in her chest. “What’s your day like?” Dahyun asked.

“Well, they all vary so much…” Sana’s voice trailed off. “I love it, though. Some days I’m just at home, but others I’m on a plane, doing shoots and fashion walks all over the place. It can be a bit disorienting, though, to travel through timezones so quickly and have to be on for the camera.” Sana frowned a bit. “I wish I could check out the places I’m at, too. I recently got to with Mina when we were in Japan, but that doesn’t always happen. One time I flew to New York, walked the runway, ate dinner, and flew right back to Korea for a gig here! Didn’t even have time for breakfast, or whatever meal it would have been in our timezone!” Sana laughed. “But I never did well with structure, anyway.”

“Is that why you’re ployamorous?” Dahyun’s mouth dropped into a little o as soon as she realized what she’d said.

“It’s okay!” Sana reassured her, clearly sensing her distress. “Maybe that’s part of it, yeah, but it’s mostly because I just have a lot of love to give and I want to give it without limits.” She was silent for a moment, their feet crunching over the mulch of the trail, birds chirping in the background. “Do you think you could be polyamorous?” She finally asked.

Dahyun figured she should have known this question was coming, but it still took her off guard.

“I… I’m not sure,” she admitted. “How would I know?”

Sana shrugged. “It’s different for everyone, but only you can answer that question.”

The two of them stopped in front of a pond, walking out onto the little dock.

“Let’s see who can find the most frogs!” Sana said excitedly, scanning the water before she even got the whole sentence out. “Found one!” She pointed to the tiniest frog, his head just poking out from under some algae.

“Found one!” Dahyun exclaimed, pointing at a rather large one sitting on the muddy shore.

They went back and forth like this for a while until they ran out of frogs and Sana was declared the winner.

“Victory!” Sana declared, pumping her fists in the air.

Dahyun laughed, a genuine happiness bubbling up in her. She reached out for Sana’s hand again as they headed back to the entrance of the park.

“I had a really nice time with you today,” Sana said once they reached the entry way. “Thank you for the flowers.”

“Thank you for mine,” Dahyun replied. “I…” Dahyun paused. “I’m really glad we got to do this.” She tried to sound calm and collected when she felt like anything but that because oh god was this when they kiss??

“Me, too,” Sana said with a grin. “Maybe we could do this again?”

Dahyun eagerly nodded her head and Sana laughed.

“Perfect, then let’s figure it out soon.” Sana frowned. “I am actually going to be quite busy the next few weeks. I don’t want you to think I don’t care.” Sana seemed genuinely worried, and Dahyun was shocked Sana could ever believe someone wouldn’t feel just how much she cared.

“I know you care,” Dahyun reassured her. “I’m fine with waiting. We can figure it out soon.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.” Sana studied Dahyun for a moment before leaning down and pressing a small kiss onto her cheek. “See you back home, Dahyunnie.”

Even minutes after Sana left, Dahyun was stuck there, clutching her flowers in hands equally as sweaty as she’d started out with because oh my god Minatozaki Sana just kissed her.

Chapter Text

Mina was a little nervous for her pottery date with Chaeyoung, she had never used a pottery wheel before and she didn’t love being bad at things. Chaeyoung admitted it had been awhile for her, which eased some of her concern but not much. She was an artist, after all. 

Chaeyoung gave Mina’s hand a little squeeze as they walked into the studio. “Ready?” Mina nodded. They walked around and looked at all the pieces other people had made, Mina wondering what she would be able to make. Some of these looked way easier than the others, maybe she would lean on the side of caution. 

“Should we make things for each other?” Chaeyoung asked, gently picking up what looked to be a spoon rest. 

“That... what if it’s not good?” Mina asked quietly, looking everywhere in the room besides at Chaeyoung. 

Chaeyoung set down the spoon rest and wrapped her arms around Mina. “Whatever it is, I’ll love it because it was made by you for me.” Mina couldn’t help but blush as Chaeyoung kissed her on the cheek. Mina loved these little moments with Chaeyoung, she could feel her heart race and her cheeks warm. She gave a small nod, deciding that she wouldn’t let her perfectionism stop her from making a sweet gift for this cute girl. 

She loved hearing Chaeyoung’s discussion around the different glazes, the tools, and how the chemicals interacted with the fire, along with the techniques that would hopefully lead them to some successful pieces. Mina couldn’t imagine knowing this much about art, but she loved hearing about it.

Chaeyoung grabbed an apron, Mina shy as the other girl slid it over her head. Mina went to reciprocate but Chaeyoung had already put hers on. 

“Was there anything in particular you wanted to make?” Chaeyoung asked. Mina’s head tipped to the side, reflecting on the things she had seen in the studio. She went with what seemed easiest and left the most room for painting, which she felt stronger about.

“How about a plate?” 

Chaeyoung smiled and nodded, and Mina couldn’t help but admire her smile and her dimple. Tzuyu was so lucky to be her girlfriend. She wondered what it might be like to date Chaeyoung, too.

“I’d like to make cups, too, if that’s alright with you?” Chaeyoung’s smile felt like a beam of light into Mina’s chest, how was she supposed to say no? Mina was nervous about it, but as if she heard, Chaeyoung said, “I’ll help you, don’t worry.” 

Chaeyoung walked over and picked up a block of clay. Mina watched curiously as the girl took a big whiff of it, stood and contemplated for a moment, then set it down before engaging with the next block. Mina walked over to the first block, tentatively raising it to her nose before inhaling. It smelled... earthy like dirt after rain. She wasn’t sure she liked it. The second block smelled exactly the same. Chaeyoung looked over and laughed, noticing the confused look on Mina’s face. 

“It’s a little strange but I feel like I can tell what it wants to be by smelling it.” Chaeyoung grabbed two blocks and walked them over to their table, using the wire to separate them until there were four blocks. Chaeyoung got the first two blocks on the wheel, ready to go. 

Mina followed what Chaeyoung did, wetting her hands and gently cupping the clay as it spun. The clay flattened at the weight of Mina’s hand, who made a surprised noise, catching Chaeyoung’s attention. 

“I made a plate!” Mina said quickly, trying to make a joke although she genuinely had no idea what she had done and if it was right. 

“You did, are you happy with it?” Chaeyoung stepped over to inspect it and Mina held her breath. How was she supposed to know if it was good enough to be happy with? 

“Uh-huh,” Mina said shakily. “Would you change anything about it?” 

Chaeyoung shook her head. “No, it looks like it’s ready to be taken off! Do you want to try?”

Mina looked nervously at the plate and hesitated. She had no idea how she made this, but now that she would have to use a wire to scrape it off, she was nervous to ruin it. Chaeyoung liked it, what if she messed it up? 

“Here, I’ll help,” Chaeyoung said with a smile. She walked over behind Mina, reaching around the girl. Mina was suddenly aware of how close Chaeyoung’s face was to hers, how close their bodies were. Chaeyoung placed the wire in Mina’s hands and held her wrists. 

“The trick is to keep consistent pressure, so keep a firm grip on the wire and keep your wrists locked, ok?” Mina tried to stay focused but she couldn’t. Chaeyoung’s breath was a little minty from the lifesaver she had eaten earlier, and her hands were warm on her wrists. She didn’t know why her hands were always so cold, it must’ve been a circulation thing. Maybe she should’ve tried harder to warm them up earlier but she could also-

“Nice!” Chaeyoung said, picking up the plate. “You did it! Ok do you want to put your initials on the bottom and then we can fire it later?” 

Mina nodded, picking up a wooden stylus and inscribing her initials on the bottom. A sense of pride rose in her chest, she had done this with no help. It was a little lopsided, but she felt that added charm to it. Also that Chaeyoung would like it, it was unique. 

Chaeyoung worked on setting up the station for Mina’s second block, calmly mentioning some techniques and things to keep in mind as she worked on the cup. Mina heard the words scoring and moist, but not much else. The two sat in silence, quietly working on their pieces. Mina remembered Chaeyoung saying earlier that she loved working with clay, it felt like a break from her regular thoughts and like she was finally able to breathe. Mina was starting to get that now. 

The clay was squishy but firm in her hands, and it was almost as if the clay was telling her what it wanted. She could feel it sometimes pushing back and sometimes yielding under her touch, almost begging to be molded by Mina’s hands. Mina was willing to go with the flow, making sure her hands stayed wet as the wheel spun the clay in her hands. She usually didn’t like when stuff collected on her hands, but the mud wasn’t bothering her. Chaeyoung looked over with a pleased smile. 

The two worked in mostly silence, occasionally chatting about their interests and whatever came to mind. Mina was enjoying it, although slightly frustrated since this was the fourth time her cup had folded in on itself. Her brows furrowed as she gave it one last chance, noting that it was getting late. She looked over and Chaeyoung was finishing up her cup, which she was already looking forward to drinking tea out of. She looked back at her block of clay and took a deep breath. She could do this, she just needed to focus. 

Mina reached for the clay and it started to take shape, spinning on the wheel and rising as she applied pressure. It started to take form, looking more and more like Mina had envisioned. She removed her hands before it caved in again, and she stopped the wheel. She used her finger to try and even out the sides, smoothing it out before adding texture to the outside of the cup. She sat back, finally satisfied with the cup. It was tall and textured, Mina figured it would be perfect for Chaeyoung’s daily drink. It varied, but her current drink was an oat milk matcha latte with two pumps of vanilla. 

Chaeyoung beamed at the pieces in front of her. “I’ll fire them and we can set up some time to glaze them in the next couple weeks? Does that work for you?”

Mina nodded, noting the differences in what they’d made for each other. Chaeyoung had actually managed to make a set of 9 tea cups, she presumed one for everyone in the house. They were small and short, each textured differently to match everyone’s personality. It warmed Mina’s heart to know how much Chaeyoung loved the household. She looked at a tenth cup on the side, a wide tea cup. 

“So you can also use it for soup,” Chaeyoung said with a grin, leaning her head on Mina’s shoulder.

“I love it, I can’t wait to see how you paint it, too. I made yours tall for your drinks since I know you’re always looking for a glass tall enough!” Mina was a little hesitant, but very excited to share it with her. Chaeyoung beamed, dimple visible as she kissed Mina on the forehead. 

Mina realized Chaeyoung was lingering in her space, inches from her face after the forehead kiss. “I’m so excited, thank you,” Chaeyoung replied, lips still slightly parted. Mina decided to go for it. 

They hadn’t kissed on the lips before this, both of them dancing around it. Mina noted the texture of Chaeyoung’s lips and the lightness of the touch. Mina felt a warmth in her chest as they both pulled away. Chaeyoung gave her a smile, hand resting on Mina’s cheek still. 

Chaeyoung locked up the studio and they walked home hand in hand, Mina still blushing from the contact earlier. She had been waiting awhile for the kiss to happen, she was just surprised that she had initiated it. Sana would be proud. 

“Oh, also my art show! You’re still planning on coming, right?” Chaeyoung asked, a tinge of fear in her voice, as if Mina’s presence would make or break the event. 

“Of course, I mean, it’s on all our calendars!” Mina joked, thinking it had landed until she saw Chaeyoung’s face fall. “But hey, I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I moved a shoot to make sure I could come.” 

Chaeyoung’s smile returned, and Mina breathed a sigh of relief. They were still learning about each other, and Mina was realizing that Chaeyoung was a lot more sensitive than she let on. On the surface, she was always calm and cool, never afraid to stir the pot but always willing to hear people out. The more she learned, the more her art made sense to Mina. Chaeyoung walked Mina to the front door, both of them giggling as they kissed one more time and walked in. 

Jihyo looked up from the couch, head in Jeongyeon’s lap and legs in Momo’s lap. “How was your date?” 

Both girls blushed, quickly replying in the affirmative while talking over each other. They heard more laughing from the couch, Sana and Nayeon popping up to make fun of them, too. 

“Minari did you actually finish or did you spend too much time perfecting it?” Sana teased. 

“I did finish!” Mina’s face flushed red as she yelled back, surprising everyone at the volume she emitted. 

“She did great,” Chaeyoung said quickly, leaning in to give her a kiss, the rest of the room oohing and whooping at the sight of them. 

“Don’t let your girlfriend see!” Nayeon exclaimed, earning her a quick pillow to the face from Sana, who knew how testy the subject was. 

“I need to go give her a call, but Mina, thanks again for tonight, I’ll talk to you later!” Chaeyoung said with a wave before heading upstairs. Mina went and sat in between Nayeon and Sana, who both quickly snuggled in, asking for details. Mina recounted the whole date to the room, everyone enamored with how it went.

“You know, we could go on a throuple date,” Sana said with a smirk, looking at Nayeon and Mina. Currently, Nayeon was running her hand through Mina’s hair and smiling at the girl, and they both looked at each other before looking at Sana. 

“I’m game,” Nayeon said with a shrug.

“What uh how would well should we-” Mina stuttered, quickly stopped by Sana. 

“We can take it easy, I just think since we are all seeing each other, it’s a nice opportunity to see if there’s more to explore together,” Sana replied. 

“If you want a threesome, you just have to ask,” Nayeon said with a smirk, Mina’s face flushing red again.

“Hey, what about me!” Momo exclaimed, tossing another pillow across the room. 

“You’re always welcome, baby,” Sana said with a wink, Nayeon replying in kind before crossing the room and sitting herself on Momo’s lap, smothering her with kisses. The room burst into laughter, and Mina couldn’t help but wonder if it could always be like this. It was still odd to see some of their interactions sometimes, but everyone acted out of love and assumed positive intent, and Mina wouldn’t want it any other way. 

Nayeon perked up and looked at Jeongyeon. “Jeongie, are you coming to the club with us this weekend?”

“What about you, Jihyo? Pleeeaaaase??” Sana begged, also moving over to the other couch to get closer to her girlfriend. 

Jihyo and Jeongyeon gave each other a look. “We will see.”

Mina had forgotten about their plans, mentally preparing for the overstimulation. She didn’t love drinking, the lights were loud, and the bodies were too close. Mostly she went to see what kind of trouble Sana and Nayeon would get up to, and something about this upcoming night felt extra promising. 

Chapter Text

The music of the club throbbed through Tzuyu’s body as she entered, hand-in-hand with Chaeyoung. They were at Jackson Wang’s Club—it was exclusive, but Sana had gotten them in because of course she knew him. She knew everyone. Tzuyu was grateful. It’d been a long day at work and she was ready to let off a little steam. She’d gotten all dolled up for the occasion—dressed in a shiny gold dress that hugged her body, makeup done, wearing lipstick that she hoped would be more on Chaeyoung’s lips than her own by the end of the night. She somewhat regretted the heels because her feet already hurt, but she knew she’d stop noticing after a drink or two.

“I can’t wait to dance with you,” Chaeyoung shouted over the music blasting through the room. “Drink first?” She squeezed Tzuyu’s hand.

“Yeah,” Tzuyu shouted back.

As Chaeyoung led her to the bar, Tzuyu caught a glimpse of Nayeon and Sana who were already practically grinding on each other, eyes scanning each other’s bodies in a way that made Tzuyu blush.

When they made it to the bar, she saw Momo and Mina, huddled together and trying to have a conversation with someone else. She tried to glance around them to see who it was, but whoever it was was pretty short, dwarfed by Momo’s already slight stature.

“Do you want your usual?” Chaeyoung asked, glancing up at her girlfriend.

“Yes, thank you,” Tzuyu said, letting Chaeyoung order for her. She secretly loved when Chaeyoung did things for her. Tzuyu constantly had to make decisions all day—and sometimes pretty high stakes ones—so having Chaeyoung do this for her was nice.

Tzuyu looked back over at Mina and Momo, her eyebrows shooting up when she realized the other person with them was Dahyun. She walked over to them, too shocked by this revelation to stop herself.

“I didn’t expect to see you at a club,” Tzuyu said, the surprise evident in her voice.

“WHAT?” Dahyun shouted,

Tzuyu laughed. “I said I didn’t expect to see you here!” She looked around. “Are Jeongyeon and Jihyo here, too?”

Dahyun shook her head. “They’re having a quiet date night at home.”

Tzuyu nodded. Chaeyoung came up behind her, pressing a drink into her hand.

‘Dude, you actually came?” Chaeyoung’s eyes widened in surprise. “This is totally your first time at a club.”

“Is it that obvious?” Dahyun whined.

“Yes,” Chaeyoung said with a laugh. “But you’re gonna have a great time!” Chaeyoung reached forward and grabbed Dahyun by the wrist, shoving her at Tzuyu. “Let’s all dance together! Get you to loosen up since I know you can’t drink!”

Tzuyu was both surprised and not surprised to hear Dahyun didn’t drink. Surprised that she came to the club anyway—though she supposed Mina still did, too, despite her alcohol allergy—but not surprised she wasn’t a drinker.

Couldn’t be me, she thought to herself as they entered the dance floor.

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu sandwiched Dahyun, Tzuyu chugging her drink before they started to dance. Chaeyoung’s hands were in the air and she swayed back and forth so effortlessly, mesmerizing Tzuyu. As much as she wanted to get lost in Chaeyoung’s body and the way she moved, she couldn’t help but watch Dahyun who was awkwardly shuffling like a grandma between them.

“Like this!” Tzuyu grabbed her, moving her a bit more loosely. She felt the girl tense then slowly un-tense under her touch. “That’s it!” She looped her arms around Dahyun’s shoulders, moving with her. She felt Chaeyoung moving behind her still, but she found she was okay focusing on Dahyun right now. In fact, she kind of wanted to. Her face flushed a bit, but she figured it was just the alcohol.

“Aw, you’re cute together!” Nayeon’s voice cut through their dance, and Dahyun jumped back, bumping into the other girl who just cackled. “Don’t stop on my account!”

Sana came up behind Nayeon, her hand on Nayeon’s waist. “So great to see you all here.” She turned to Dahyun. “May I have this dance?” She held out her hand. Dahyun blushed as she placed her hand in Sana’s, who led her away.

Nayeon pouted. “The shy nerdy girl always wins,” she said.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes. “Isn’t the point of polyamory that everyone wins?”

Nayeon cackled again. “That’s pretty accurate, actually.”

Momo came up behind Nayeon, the other girl shrieking when Momo grabbed her.

“You’re finally done grinding on Sana?” She kissed Nayeon’s neck.

“Oh, yeah, baby, if you’re gonna act this way I am.” Nayeon turned around and kissed Momo, sloppy and desperate, and Tzuyu took that as her cue to leave.

She turned to Chaeyoung, who looped her arms around her waist, and she just lost herself in dancing, the beat of the music guiding her. Tzuyu counted herself lucky that she was a pretty fluid dancer, and that Chaeyoung was, too. It was never awkward between them. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but soon she felt a bit too hot and sweaty.

“I’m getting a drink,” she shouted to Chaeyoung. “Come with me!”

Chaeyoung followed her off the dance floor and to the bar, where they joined the line. Tzuyu glanced up to see Mina whispering to Sana. When Sana caught Tzuyu’s eye, she just grinned at her.

“I’m trying to get Mina to join us out there,” Sana said. She grabbed her girlfriend’s hand. “Come on, honey!”

Tzuyu watched Sana whisk Mina away, and she couldn’t deny the relief she felt. As much as she was worried that Chaeyoung would get distracted by Mina tonight, she also knew that three of Mina’s other love interests were here. That meant she had a 1/4th chance of being interested in Chaeyoung tonight. Tzuyu wasn’t a betting girl, but those odds felt pretty good.

The odds, it turned out, were not in her favor.

A few songs later, Chaeyoung was dancing with Mina, who Tzuyu was relieved to see was an awkward dancer. Maybe it was a bit vindictive of her, but she was glad Mina couldn’t have it all. Tzuyu was brooding, sipping her drink as she watched her girlfriend dance with her love interest.

“Hey, you okay?”

Tzuyu jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder, turning to see Momo with an inquisitive look on her face.

“It’s hard,” Momo continued when Tzuyu stayed silent. “It’s hard to watch them sometimes, isn’t it?” She nodded toward the dance floor and Tzuyu’s eyes landed on Nayeon and Sana who were… dancing rather proactively with another girl?

“Who is she?” Tzuyu asked, squinting to make out the girl’s slight frame and round, gold wired glasses.

Momo shrugged. “Just some girl, I’m sure. Nayeon and Sana play this game where they compete to ‘win’ a girl. Whoever gets kissed first or whoever gets her number first is the winner.”

“Do they ever pursue the girl after this?” Tzuyu swirled her drink, watching the amber liquid shimmer in the pulsing lights.

“Nah, they usually give some line about being friends. You know how they are.”

Tzuyu nodded. She had a pretty good idea, at this point.

“What’s going on out there?” Mina suddenly appeared in front of Tzuyu and Momo, but Chaeyoung was nowhere in sight. Mina pointed toward Nayeon and Sana.

“Their game,” Momo said, rolling her eyes.

Mina frowned. “I don’t really like when they do this.”

“Join the club,” Momo grumbled.

Tzuyu studied Mina, taking in her look of the night. She was wearing a black dress that was short, but it was more than okay because Mina had amazing legs, perfectly toned. The dress was skintight, showing off her literally perfect proportions. Tzuyu logically knew this made sense because Mina was a model, but it still annoyed her. She wished she looked that good, that perfect. The more she looked at Mina, the more she saw it—she saw why Chaeyoung felt for her. Mina was gorgeous, but she was also sweet. She was kind, caring, considerate… Tzuyu thought back to the Lego store.

That was why, as much as Tzuyu was annoyed and distraught over Mina’s relationship with Chaeyoung, she could never hate her.

“Oh my god, I think Sana is winning. Nayeon’s going to be pissed,” Momo said, jolting Tzuyu out of her thoughts.

Tzuyu glanced up just in time to see Sana’s hand on the girl’s waist, the girl leaning closer into her, away from Nayeon.

“Nayeon won’t give up,” Momo said, the annoyance clear on her face. She turned to Mina. “Wanna make them jealous?”

Mina’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she nodded. Momo led her to the dance floor and Tzuyu watched as they left no room for Jesus between them, making their way closer to Sana and Nayeon until they were perfectly in their view. It took a moment, but soon Momo’s hands were all over Mina, tracing her body, her hips, her neck, her. Even Tzuyu could see the hunger in Momo’s gaze. Mina was so sweet and innocent that Tzuyu wondered if she saw it, too, or if she was oblivious.

That’s her problem, Tzuyu told herself, trying to ignore the worry gnawing at her.

Tzuyu realized something as she watched Mina and Momo: Mina seemed way more upset that Nayeon was paying attention to another girl than she seemed focused on winning Chaeyoung over tonight.

Maybe she’s more into Nayeon, Tzuyu reasoned. Where is Chaeyoung, afterall? She realized she’d lost eyes on her girlfriend after getting caught up in the Sana and Nayeon drama.

That’s when she saw her: Chaeyoung, talking to another girl. She was leaning close, her dimple showing when she laughed, when she smiled. Tzuyu recognized the look in her eyes because it was the look she gave Tzuyu at times.

Tzuyu felt herself turning red as she downed the rest of her drink. She needed air. She pushed her way through the crowd, making it to the backdoor where she sucked in the cool night air.

“Come here often?” Dahyun’s voice sounded from nearby. Tzuyu looked up to see her friend leaning against the brick wall. “I’ve always wanted to say that in this kind of scenario, but, you know, I’ve never been to a club before.” She looked over Tzuyu. “I’d offer you a cigarette to continue the roleplay, but I don’t have one.”

“I could use something right now,” Tzuyu mumbled.

“What’s going on?” Dahyun shifted closer to her, worry etched on her face.

“Chaeyoung’s flirting with another girl.” Tzuyu said it before she could stop herself. Not that she could stop herself anymore with all the drinks in her. “It sucks. I wanted her so badly just to myself, all to me, but I can’t. I can’t have her like that.” Tzuyu knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. Dahyun wasn’t telling her to shut up, so she continued. “I love her I love her, but I feel like I’m not enough for her. She tells me that’s not it, that she just has a lot of love to give and her loving someone else doesn’t make me less special or less important to her, but I feel like I’m not special and not important.” She slumped over a bit, feeling spent after her confession.

“Tzu… Maybe polyamory isn’t right for you?” Dahyun asked the question in her softest voice possible, but it still slammed into Tzuyu like a truck going full speed.

“Don’t say that,” Tzuyu said, pesky tears gathering at her waterline. “Because if that’s true, I lose Chaeyoung.”

“Maybe you don’t, right? Maybe—”

“I will,” Tzuyu exclaimed. “I know it already, I will.” She wiped at her eyes, hoping her makeup was indeed waterproof. “But it’s fine. I’ll just… keep going with it.”

“It sounds hard and painful, though,” Dahyun said. “You deserve love that’s easy and gentle. Love that makes you feel valued.”

“Chaeyoung does value me.” Tzuyu knew she sounded defensive, but she couldn’t help it.

“I know she does,” Dahyun said quickly. She was silent for a moment. “I was thinking of heading out. I’ve had enough clubbing for, well, the rest of my life. You wanna come?”

Tzuyu nodded. She’d had enough, too. She would text Chaeyoung if she couldn’t get her attention before leaving. It was childish, but she was too drunk to care.

Dahyun took Tzuyu by the arm and led her back into the club. Chaeyoung wasn’t in sight, but Momo and Mina were. Nayeon and Sana had joined them, but Tzuyu noticed how Momo was still all over Mina in particular. She paused where she was, eyes glued to them as Momo place a finger under Mina’s chin, tipping her head upward, her lips grazing Mina’s before using a bit more force. Mina pulled away, clearly surprised. Nayeon looked between the two of them, Sana stopping, too.

“What’s going on?” Dahyun asked from beside Tzuyu, taking in the scene unfolding before them.

Mina turned and left the dance floor, Sana right behind her. Nayeon was saying something to Momo, but it was lost to the music blasting through the room.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll hear about it,” Tzuyu said, her eyes following Mina who looked… upset?

“Hey, baby, what’s going on?” Chaeyoung was suddenly in front of Tzuyu, giving her her trademark dimpled grin. Her face fell when Tzuyu didn’t respond. She looked at Dahyun, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I’m a bit spent,” Tzuyu said. “Dahyun and I are headed out.”

“Oh, okay.” Chaeyoung chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “Do you mind if I stay?”

So you can dance with that girl?

“Of course not,” Tzuyu said instead. “I’ll see you tomorrow? Brunch?”

Chaeyoung cocked an eyebrow. “You think you’ll be good for brunch?”

“I don’t get that hungover, baby,” Tzuyu reminded her. She leaned down and kissed her. “So brunch.”

As Tzuyu and Dahyun walked away, Tzuyu couldn’t ignore all of the emotions churning in her stomach. From all the things she didn’t say to Chaeyoung to the look on Mina’s face after Momo kissed her… Being the expert she was in human emotions, she knew one thing: shit was about to go down.

Chapter Text

Nayeon loved nights at the club. She loved the dancing, the vibes, and the girls. God, she loved the girls. And she loved being there with her girls. Nayeon made sure she spent time with each of her girls, spending a minute with Jeongyeon at the house before they left, buying a drink and chatting with Mina at the bar while it was quiet, dancing and flirting with Momo, and now a game with Sana. It was simple, they would both dance with a girl and whoever kissed her first won. They were always clear about the situation, and it had only gotten messy once. They weren’t allowed back at that venue. 

Sana had unfortunately won their most recent round, and the girl waved goodbye to both of them. “Had enough losing, Nayeon?” Nayeon smirked. 

“How can I lose when I’ve got you?” Nayeon pulled Sana in, hands around her waist as she brought their lips together. She loved Sana so much. 

“Im Nayeon, your words,” Sana said as she pulled away. She brought her thumb up to Nayeon’s lips as she wiped away her lipstick. “They’re going to get me into trouble.” 

“I hope so,” Nayeon said with a grin. She was about to kiss Sana again when she noticed Mina and Momo dancing right next to them. “Well, look who it is.”

Nayeon couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Mina looked stunning in her black dress and her body was perfect. Momo’s outfit left little to her imagination and that was how she liked it. Mina was a little stiff as they danced, but that wasn’t a problem for Momo, who was working Mina like she was a pole. Nayeon felt Sana’s hand gently under her chin, closing her mouth. 

“You’re about to drown us in your drool,” Sana teased. She leaned in and Nayeon’s hair stood up when she whispered in her ear. “What about me and what I want with you?”

The two kept dancing, getting closer and closer to breaking several laws until Mina and Momo approached. Nayeon enjoyed watching what they were doing and when Sana gestured to sandwich them, she was more than happy to oblige. She wasn’t quite sure where her and Mina were, it had stayed relatively wholesome between them, so she figured it would be better to go behind Momo. She missed that girl, anyway. 

The music was loud and Nayeon swore the air was more sweat than anything else. Momo was dancing between her and Mina, and Nayeon’s brain stopped working for a bit seeing Sana on the other side. Things started to slow down and then it happened. 

Momo kissed Mina. 

Nayeon stood there, stunned, trying to process what had just happened when Mina ran off and Sana quickly followed. Nayeon noted the look of panic in Mina’s face when she pulled away, along with Sana’s look of concern, and then the knot she felt in her stomach. This was jealousy, but it wasn’t over Momo. It was about Mina. 

“Momo, what the fuck?” Nayeon asked, spinning Momo around to face her. The room seemed to be getting hotter and her jaw tensed. Momo looked at her, eyes searching her face. For a moment, Nayeon could swear she saw sadness before quickly being covered by anger. 

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Momo’s voice was shaking, and Nayeon couldn’t wrap her mind around what it was that she was implying. “Didn’t you want everyone to know we’re poly?”

Nayeon took a step back, face aghast. The room was spinning as she took in what Momo had said, and what she had done. Was this vindictive? How could this possibly be for her when they hadn’t even discussed it? Why did she feel so upset by this, she had seen her girlfriends kiss several different people and it had never phased her like this. Maybe it was the way Mina frowned and ran away. Or maybe it was because everything felt wrong about this situation.

Momo’s hands were on her hips as she looked at Nayeon, one eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. Nayeon wasn’t sure she had one, but she didn’t like the way Momo was talking to her. 

“What’s going on, why are you talking to me like this? We never talked about how we were going to move forward with that, in fact you wanted to table it so I’ve been respectful of that-” 

“You’re just mad that I kissed her first! She likes me too, you know! At least someone does,” Momo trailed off. 

Nayeon had enough. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’m going to check on Mina and you should go. You should cool off at home, I’ll stay at Jihyo’s.”

As Nayeon walked towards the exit, a million thoughts raced through her mind. Momo had never talked to her like that before, and maybe it was the alcohol, but something about it felt so pointed. What did she mean that at least someone likes her? Of course Nayeon likes her, loves her even. And what was the twisting in her stomach that was gnawing at her throat. Maybe she had wanted to kiss Mina, but not in a circumstance like that. Not in a way that would make Mina look at her like that after. Thinking about it again made her stomach hurt, threatening to release the drinks she had been pounding all night. Mina looked shocked and hurt and uncomfortable, all at the same time. 

She found Mina and Sana sitting on the curb, Mina’s head on Sana’s shoulder. Nayeon thought about maybe not approaching, but her legs carried her before her mind caught up. 

“Hey, are you ok?” Nayeon walked over and sat next to Mina, leaving a bit of space between them in case she needed it. Looking more closely, she could see tears in Mina’s eyes and mascara running down her face. It broke her heart. 

“We called a Lyft, need a ride?” Sana asked quickly, eyes sending a quick message to not discuss what happened, to which Nayeon simply nodded. 

The ride home was quiet, and Nayeon couldn’t help but feel bad. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t help but feel responsible. She knew that Momo had been off, and while she had tried to tend to that relationship, Momo was a steel vault. She wasn’t sharing what was wrong, and as a result, Nayeon wasn’t able to mend anything. Momo acting out was on Momo, but she still felt a guilt gnawing at her. Sana had sat herself in the middle, hands not leaving Mina. 

Sana leaned over and whispered, “I’m going to get Mina ready for bed when we get home, but we can talk after, ok?” 

Nayeon nodded as Sana pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll go inside first and run interference.” Sana mouthed a thank you as she checked on Mina again. Nayeon wished more than anything that she could help Mina right now, but she understood that given the depth of their current relationship, it wasn’t her place. 

When they arrived at the house, Nayeon ran in and found Jihyo and Jeongyeon on the couch. 

“Oh hey, how was-” Jeongyeon started before being interrupted by Nayeon, who ran over and grabbed the remote. She turned off the tv and kissed both of them on the cheek, linking their arms with hers and lifting them up. 

“We gotta go,” Nayeon said. Jihyo and Jeongyeon both looked at each other with concern before narrowly avoiding the coffee table and massage chair as they tried to follow Nayeon backwards. They quickly unlinked and turned around, wrapping their arms around Nayeon, who looked to be on the brink of tears. 

Nayeon broke down the second they got to the room. “I don’t... I mean I know what happened but I don’t really understand.” She recounted the events of the night, starting with the drinks and the dancing and ending with Momo’s cutting words. 

“Wow that’s a lot,” Jeongyeon said, quietly holding Nayeon as she finished her story. “I get why you’re hurting, it sounds like Momo was trying to push your buttons-”

“She’s also operating from a place of hurt, though,” Jihyo said with a frown. They all nodded, knowing Momo well enough to understand where she was coming from. That didn’t change the events of the night, though. 

“How’s Mina doing?” Jeongyeon finally asked. 

Nayeon shrugged. “I don’t really know. Sana’s got her, which I’m glad. I just wish I knew how to help. Also, can one of you go check on Momo tomorrow? I don’t think I’m in the headspace to do it but I don’t want her to be isolated.”

“I can do it, Jeongyeon’s got a big story to cover tomorrow,” Jihyo said with a smile. 

“Oh, ok, I’ll let you two get to bed then. Thanks for listening to me,” Nayeon said quietly. 

“Anytime, you know we love you, it’ll be ok,” Jeongyeon said before kissing Nayeon’s forehead. “Here, let me get you some pajamas.” 

When Nayeon stayed over she had a choice of clothes and beds, but tonight she just wanted to be comfy in Jeongyeon’s clothes and sleep on the couch. After she changed, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen to make some tea before bed. She heard light footsteps and then found herself face to face with Sana. She opened her arms to the girl and she quickly fell in, head snuggling into the crook of Nayeon’s neck. She held her there for a while, traces of Mina’s scent around her.  

“Baby, what even happened,” Sana mumbled. It wasn’t even a question, but a musing since neither of them had the answer. 

Nayeon sighed as she gently rubbed Sana’s back. “I feel so terrible-”

Sana pulled away quickly and locked in on Nayeon, an intense look in her eyes. “It’s not your fault, you weren’t the one who kissed her.”

Nayeon knew what she said was true, but she couldn’t help it. But looking at Sana, she saw the same guilt reflected back. “You couldn’t have done anything either, Sana. It just... happened.” Nayeon loved Sana deeply, and one of the things she loved most was how deeply Sana cared for others. They shared similar feelings of responsibility, which is also why a moment like this felt so difficult. Nayeon went and poured a cup of tea for Sana. 

“How is she?” Nayeon asked quietly, as if the question itself would cause additional strife. 

“She’s asleep, but it really shook her. I didn’t even have to use makeup remover by the time we got home. Which is good, because she immediately went to sleep. Poor girl.”

“Maybe Momo got caught up on the vibes,” Nayeon said quickly, not sure if defending or justifying Momo in this moment was correct, but it was where her mind went. 

Sana looked at Nayeon and nodded, taking a sip of her tea. “Maybe. But whatever it was, she wasn’t ready for it. Are you ok?”

Nayeon stared into her cup of tea, as if it would explain to her how she felt. She shrugged. “Momo said some really hurtful things to me after you guys left, so I’m staying here tonight. I’m pretty sad and I love Momo and I care about Mina, I just don’t even understand why she did that and why she would talk to me that way. But I’m feeling pretty tired, so I should probably just go to sleep.”

Sana tilted her head in understanding. “I’m really sorry about that, Nayeon. I don’t know what she said but if it hit you like this, then I’m sure it wasn’t good. You and I both know how she can get when she’s upset. I’ve got to go back up with Mina, but I’ll check in with you in the morning?”

Nayeon needed some time alone, so she gave a small smile and nodded, kissing Sana before the girl walked back up the stairs. She let out a deep sigh, wishing deeply to be the bear on the packaging of the sleepy time tea. She went to the upstairs family room, hoping for less morning time traffic so she could sleep in. She looked at her phone and checked Momo’s location, noting that she had gotten home. Should she send a text to check in? To let her know that she wasn’t mad, just hurt and confused? That Mina was ok? Would sending a text hurt the situation more? 

She decided to send something. I’m at the house, hope you made it home safe

Nayeon grabbed a blanket and sprawled out on the couch, grateful that Jeongyeon had convinced Jihyo to splurge on the more comfortable couch so she could spread out now. Truthfully, she could’ve fallen asleep anywhere at this point. Her eyes slowly closed and she hoped that she would have some clarity in the morning.  

Chapter Text

Maybe Dahyun deserved the ajusshi status her friends gave her judging by how happy she was to fall back into her normal routine on Monday, even if that meant going back to work. She was looking forward to escaping the house. Things were… tense. She was mostly on the periphery of it, and she was happy to keep it that way for now. She still didn’t understand all of the intricacies of everyone’s relationships and worried she’d just make things worse if she tried to help. There was one couple she felt qualified to intervene with, however. As she entered the coffee shop early on that Monday morning, she came face-to-face with one half of them. 

“Good morning, Chaeyoung,” Dahyun said. “How’s it going?” 

Chaeyoung sighed as she typed in Dahyun’s usual order. Dahyun handed over her exact change, just like always. 

“Oh, I mean brunch was… okay. But not okay, I guess. She’s mad at me about something, but I don’t know what.” 

“You really don’t know?” Dahyun cocked a brow in surprise. 

“Dude, no, of course not. If I did, I’d fix it.” Chaeyoung said adamantly. 

“It’s the other girl you were with,” Dahyun said with a sigh of her own. “Tzuyu wasn’t happy to see you with a complete stranger.” 

Chaeyoung chewed her bottom lip. “Another girl? I don’t even know who she’s talking about.” Chaeyoung groaned, running her hand through her hair. “She should have told me.” 

“Sure, but…” Dahyun weighed her next words carefully. “But I also think you should know her well enough by now.”

Chaeyoung deflated a bit, nodding her head. “I feel like this keeps happening. She knew when we started dating that I’m poly, and she says she’s fine with it, but then she acts like this, so clearly she’s not fine with it.”  

“That feels like a larger conversation that’s important to have,” Dahyun said as gently as she could. 

“Yeah, I guess I just don’t want to have it, because what if… What if we don’t survive it.” 

Silence descended between them, the music and chatter in the coffee shop taking over. Dahyun didn’t know what to say to Chaeyoung because that could happen. 

Chaeyoung held up a finger and then ran off, coming back with two pastries and two drinks—Dahyun’s and an iced vanilla latte, Tzuyu’s signature drink. 

“Can you give her these?” Chaeyoung gestured toward the drink and one of the pastries. “I included a note in it, too.” 

“Of course, Chae,” Dahyun said, scooping up the food. “But what’s this one?” 

“That’s for you, for being my courier.” Chaeyoung grinned at Dahyun. “I have to keep my mail carrier well-fed.” 

“I’m not sure how to feel about that, so I’ll just accept the food and say thank you.” Dahyun glanced at her watch. “I better go. Text Tzuyu later, okay?” 

Chaeyoung waved goodbye to Dahyun as she left, fast-walking the remaining distance to the hospital. Tzuyu and Dahyun had a routine now where Tzuyu would come visit her after rounds in the morning. Dahyun realized she wasn’t actually sure if today was one of Tzuyu’s days at the hospital, but she hoped it was. She wanted to see how she was doing. And she just wanted to see her. Her day was always brighter when Tzuyu was there. 

Dahyun tried not to look too expectantly at the pharmacy window, waiting for Tzuyu’s head to pop into frame, as she went about her orders for the morning. It was hard to focus, though. Eventually, an urgent order came through and Dahyun was forced into focusing. Once she was done, typing in the finished order on her laptop, she nearly jumped when she looked up and saw Tzuyu. 

“Scared you, didn’t I?” Tzuyu chuckled. 

“You did,” Dahyun said, her heart beating fast. A little too fast. Was she really that scared? “You almost don’t deserve this, but I promised I’d give it to you.” Dahyun handed over the drink and pastry bag. 

Tzuyu frowned as she read the note attached to the pastry. 

“Why do you look so upset?” Dahyun couldn’t stop herself from asking. 

“Chaeyoung thinks something sweet and a little note will make everything better, but it doesn’t work that way.” Tzuyu sighed as she folded up the note and tucked it into her pocket. “Thanks for delivering these,” she said. “How are you?” 

Dahyun wanted to unpack what Tzuyu had just said, but clearly Tzuyu wasn’t there yet. 

“I’m fine, already busy here.” Dahyun glanced at the computer and saw the fill orders piling up. 

“I better get back to the floor,” Tzuyu said. “But I’ll see you for lunch?” 

“Yeah, see you then,” Dahyun said with a little wave. 

The rest of her morning went by quickly, but something was bothering her. It was herself, her own reaction to Tzuyu, that was on her mind. Why had her heart beat so quickly? Why did she look forward to seeing Tzuyu so much? Why did she look for her in the faces of everyone who came up to or passed by the pharmacy counter? 

Because she’s your friend, Dahyun chastised herself. 

These thoughts were still on Dahyun’s mind when Tzuyu reappeared, her lunchbox in hand, and Dahyun handed off the pharmacy to Gahyun for the next half hour. 

“So, do you know how Mina’s doing?” 

Dahyun was surprised by the first words out of Tzuyu’s mouth when they sat down in the hospital cafeteria. 

“Oh, um, I actually don’t really know.” Dahyun felt a bit ashamed to admit that. “She’s been a bit isolated, kind of keeping to herself. Sana has been with her the whole time, though.” 

“Has Momo apologized?” 

“I don’t think so?” Dahyun said. “Or at least she hasn’t been to the house to do so. Nayeon was there, though.” Dahyun frowned. “Actually, Nayeon’s been there constantly. I don’t know if she’s even gone home.”

Tzuyu nodded. “Mina seemed really shocked and… uncomfortable,” Tzuyu said slowly. “I hope she’s doing okay. I wish there was something I could do for her. Maybe I’ll ask Chaeyoung later, or I would if…” Tzuyu fell silent. 

Dahyun found it a bit odd, and definitely very interesting, that Tzuyu felt so strongly for Mina. Something sharp and icy that she couldn’t name shot through her. But she didn’t have time for that. Tzuyu seemed on the verge of opening up, and that was what she had to focus on. 

“If what?” Dahyun prompted. 

“If it didn’t feel like everything was falling apart.” Tzuyu set down her baggy of carrots. “Seeing her and that girl… It’s hard enough to see her with people I know, but now I have to worry about people I don’t even know? At what point is it too much for me to handle?” 

“I’m sorry, Tzu,” Dahyun whispered, her voice barely audible over the chatter in the cafeteria. “I know how much you love her.” 

“This must put you in a bad spot, actually. You’re Chaeyoung’s friend, after all.” Tzuyu said quickly. 

Dahyun felt her heart drop as she watched Tzuyu pull away a bit. “Aren’t I your friend, too?”

“That’s true,” Tzuyu said slowly. “I guess as long as you’re okay with hearing about it.” 

“I want to hear about it,” Dahyun reassured her. “I want to be there for you.” Dahyun looked at where Tzuyu’s hand rested on the table. It would be so easy to reach out and cover it with her own. The thought of it sent butterflies through her stomach.

Friends do that, right? 

Tzuyu moved her hand before Dahyun had time to think any further. 

“Thanks for listening.” Tzuyu stood up, shoving her remaining food in her lunchbox. “I have to get back to the unit, but I’ll see you later?” 

“Yeah,” Dahyun said, jumping to her feet. “See you after work. Have a good shift.” 

When Tzuyu left, Dahyun stood in the cafeteria for a moment, staring at the seat she’d just occupied. She had orders to fill, work to do, but she seemed stuck today. Stuck on a certain girl. 

Dahyun shook her head as if she were trying to dislodge the thought. Tzuyu was her friend. 

She’s a friend. Just a friend.

Dahyun left, subsequently swallowing the feeling, the longing, for something more.

Chapter Text

Mina hadn’t left her room in days. Luckily she had already taken off this week to rest, but had she known what was going to happen, maybe she never would have come home. Sana and Nayeon had been taking turns looking after her. She was grateful, but she also couldn’t figure out why this was affecting her so much. It was only a kiss, and it’s not like it was her first time kissing someone in the club or her first time kissing a friend or even kissing someone in that household. It was just a kiss.  

She heard a light knock on her door, Sana peeking in before both her and Nayeon walked into the room. 

“Heyy, it’s been awhile. Do you want to come out with us?” Sana asked, gently sitting on the edge of the bed. 

Mina sighed. “It’s your date night, I don’t want to intrude.” She looked across the room and noticed Nayeon walking closer, then pausing and taking a step back. She then walked over to where Sana was and stood in front of her. Mina couldn’t help but smile. Nayeon still hadn’t quite figured out how to be around her since they were seeing each other, but they hadn’t really been together for that long. She thought it was cute. 

“We’re just going to the arcade, and we figured it might be good for you to, you know,” Nayeon replied sheepishly. Since Mina didn’t move, Nayeon added, “They’ve got some new penguin plushes.”

Sana moved in closer, touching Mina’s hand. “We are worried, that’s all. Please come with us?”

Seeing both of their concerned faces, Mina finally relented. When both of their faces relaxed, she knew she had made a good decision. She still hadn’t talked about the incident and neither of them had pressured her, but she knew she would have to talk about it soon. It was hard since she wasn’t even sure why she felt that way.

When they walked through the doors of the arcade, they were met with bright lights and the sounds of disgruntled customers. The claw machines were difficult, but Nayeon had a knack for winning. Even before they had started dating, Nayeon would always send Sana home with something for Mina. Maybe she should have caught on earlier to Nayeon’s feelings. 

“This way!” Nayeon grabbed Mina’s hand and led her to the crane machines. “Which one do you want?” They walked through aisles and aisles of machines until they landed on a seal in a penguin suit. Mina loved these ones. After two attempts, Nayeon reached into the machine with a smug grin, pulling the plush out. Mina couldn’t contain her grin as she hugged the stuffed animal, leaning over and kissing Nayeon on the cheek. Sana pulled both of them in for a hug, kissing both of them repeatedly. 

The three of them had never been on a date altogether before, but Mina didn’t mind. Obviously she loved Sana, and so did Nayeon. And Sana loved both of them dearly, and Mina was starting to grow something with Nayeon. It made sense. 

Mina wandered over to the groove coaster game, her favorite. She felt a stir in her hands as she stood in front of it. Sana had left her alone for several hours with this machine in Japan once, and she had a feeling it was about to be like that again. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit,” Mina said quietly, reaching into her pockets for her card. 

Sana just smiled, giving her a quick hug before wrapping her arms around Nayeon’s waist and walking together to play Mario Kart. 

Mina took a deep breath, placing her hands on the controllers. She loved the lights and the patterns, the music and the feeling of winning. She played several songs, letting her mind drift in the game and towards her thoughts. 

Ultimately, she did like Momo. Mina thought she was gorgeous and she loved how kind she was. Momo was always doing things for other people, and she liked how the girl moved through the world. Mina was kind of a slow burner, opting to wait several dates before initiating significant contact, and only if she felt comfortable. She hadn’t gotten there yet with Momo, which is why it caught her so off guard. She didn’t think Momo was like that, and something about that kiss was... there was an energy behind it that made Mina uneasy. If Momo had asked before, maybe she would have said yes. But she wasn’t given that opportunity. 

The song finished, 97%. That simply wouldn’t do. She went a couple more rounds, losing herself in the music as her hands tapped and turned. When she finished her ninth song, she felt a tap on her shoulder. 

“Mina, are you ok?” Nayeon said, a worried look on her face. Sana reached up and wiped away tears from Mina’s face. She didn’t know when she had started crying, but she realized they weren’t stopping. She grabbed her plush and walked away, Nayeon and Sana looking at each other before following. Mina sat down at a table away from the noise and started sobbing. 

“I just.. I did like her but I felt like I didn’t have a choice? I wasn’t ready and maybe I should have been, I should’ve known, it’s so stupid,” Mina cried. 

Sana immediately walked over and started rubbing circles on Mina’s back. “Baby, no, it’s not your fault at all. You didn’t know what was happening and it’s not what you wanted. You weren’t ready for it even if you did like her.” 

“I’m sorry it hurts so much,” Nayeon whispered, sitting on the other side of Mina. 

Mina leaned over and placed her head on Nayeon’s chest, body relaxing into her. She felt safe with Nayeon, not that she didn’t feel safe with Sana, but it was different. With Nayeon, she felt understood and like she would be protected. With Sana, she felt held and like her feelings weren’t too much. Both had elements of the other, but it always surprised her when she noticed the strong suits. She finally felt the tears stopping and she sat up, feeling a little lighter. 

“Thank you both,” she said softly, both gently acknowledging her in their own way. “We still have one more thing I’d like to do,” she sniffled. Sana smiled knowingly. 

“Yeah, of course, anything,” Nayeon said, not an inkling of what it was but prepared to do it. 

“Photo booth,” Mina said, pointing to the booth in the corner. She smiled as they all walked over, hand in hand. Not quite hand in hand but pinky in pinky, since Nayeon seemed to have gone a little crazy with the stuffed animals, and her and Sana both needed to carry them. Mina noticed a couple more penguin variations and smiled to herself.  

As the numbers counted down, Mina noticed the ways she loved them. She loved how chipper Sana was, that she could immediately light up a room simply by entering. Nayeon had a complimentary effect, being able to engage anyone in a conversation once she was there. The two were very approachable, very kind, and when they were together, Mina imagined that that continued. They both extended the same silliness to her, and she noted that Sana pouted a lot more around Nayeon. In the final frame, Sana and Nayeon both turned to Mina and kissed her cheeks as she blushed. 

“I think that’s perfect,” Nayeon said as she looked over the photo strips. Sana nodded, kissing her on the cheek. Mina couldn’t help but smile, too. 

“I’m going to post these on my account!” Sana said with a grin. 

Mina squinted as she looked at the pictures. “Wait... did you guys switch clothes?” She looked up to see a flushed Nayeon and Sana with a devilish smirk. She didn’t even want to know what they had gotten up to. 

“She was just so hot winning all those stuffies,” Sana whined, wrapping an arm around Nayeon’s waist, both of them dropping stuffed animals in the process. 

“Where did you even-”

“The bathroom,” Nayeon replied with a guilty look. 

“Does that mean-”

“No, we paid some kid in plushies to watch our stuff for us at a different table,” Sana said nonchalantly. 

“I can’t believe you guys sometimes,” Mina sighed, shaking her head. 

“You could join us,” Sana replied with a shrug, Nayeon immediately turning red. 

“Anyways, how are you feeling about Chae’s art show?” Nayeon asked quickly, begging for a topic change. 

Mina had forgotten all about the art show this weekend. She was still looking forward to it, she wanted to support Chaeyoung in her art endeavors. She just couldn’t help but wonder if Momo would be there, and if so, how would she react? 

As if reading her mind, Nayeon said, “I don’t know if Momo will be there, but I can find out if you want.” 

Sana looked over at Mina with concern in her eyes. “We will be there the whole time if she is, don’t you worry about a thing.” 

“I think... as long as you two are around, it’ll be ok,” Mina replied. And she meant it. If nothing else, the past week had shown her just how much she could rely on these two, and just how much they cared about her. She wanted to talk to Momo eventually about what happened, but not yet. She knew whenever she was ready, Nayeon and Sana would have her back and she loved them both for it. 

Wait. 

She loved Nayeon?

As she looked over at the bunny-faced girl attacking Sana’s face with stuffed animals, Sana a giggling mess, her heart felt overwhelmed. Mina thought about the meals Nayeon had brought to her room, the way she had looked at her with concern after the incident, and how gentle Nayeon had been with her since they had met. She decided that while this was a good thing, it was probably a good idea to deal with one thing at a time. Her feelings for Nayeon could wait another couple days, probably.

Chapter Text

Tzuyu popped her lips after putting on her lipstick—the final touches before leaving for Chaeyoung’s art show. Since she was coming from work, she wasn’t actually seeing Chaeyoung before the show. Chaeyoung had to be at the show early, anyway, even though she’d done setup in the days before. Tzuyu frowned at her reflection as she thought of arriving without Chaeyoung on her arm. She had wanted to wish Chaeyoung good luck, to give her a kiss beforehand, to share a moment, just the two of them, but fate—or really the demands of Tzuyu’s job—had other plans.

Tzuyu grabbed her purse and headed out the door, traveling the familiar route toward Chaeyoung’s house, then going a bit beyond it to get to the venue hosting the show. She was so proud of Chaeyoung for getting her very own art show. Tzuyu definitely wouldn’t call herself an expert, or even an amateur when it came to art, but she knew Chaeyoung getting her own art show was a big deal.

She took a deep breath as she stood on the sidewalk in front of the venue, an unassuming, nondescript building that was a little too stone grey for her liking, but she supposed it was more about the space inside to display the art than what the building looked like on the outside. She watched people drift in, some alone, some in pairs or groups. She was happy to see that Chaeyoung's show seemed well-attended and it hadn’t even officially started yet. She was about to head in herself when she saw Mina, arms linked with Sana and… Nayeon? Tzuyu raised her eyebrows. It seemed like Mina and Nayeon were progressing so did that mean… no Mina and Chaeyoung?

That’s not how polyamory works, Tzuyu internally chided herself. But maybe this at least meant Mina wouldn’t interact with Chaeyoung as much tonight. Maybe she’d have Chaeyoung to herself.

Tzuyu entered, the sound of people talking and laughing in a large space with no extra walls to absorb the sound, overwhelming her. She scanned the room looking for Chaeyoung, or at least for someone she knew, when she saw Dahyun. She hurried over to her, relieved to not be alone.

“Hey,” she said to Dahyun. “When did you get here?”

“Just a few minutes ago,” she said with a little smile. Tzuyu’s eyes drifted to the drink in Dahyun’s hands. “Soda,” Dahyun said, noticing right away. “Want me to get you some?”

“I think I need something more than soda,” Tzuyu said with a sigh.

Dahyun frowned. “Maybe that’s not a great idea?”

“Just one,” Tzuyu protested. “Where did you get that?”

Dahyun studied Tzuyu’s face for a moment as if she were deciding whether or not she should say something, but finally relented, motioning her over to a table on the other side of the room.

Because it was a rather classy event, the only alcohol they had was white wine and champagne. Tzuyu opted for the wine, taking a sip as soon as it was in her hands.

“Where is everyone? I saw Mina, Nayeon, and Sana earlier.”

“I don’t know,” Dahyun said, eyes drifting around the room. “I haven’t even seen Chaeyoung yet.”

“It’s her night,” Tzuyu said, a smile on her face. “She’s the star of the show so I’m sure she’s talking to a lot of people now.”

“But don’t you want to find her?” Dahyun asked. “I can help you.”

“Okay,” Tzuyu said. Dahyun seemed to know her well, to know that she wanted to see Chaeyoung more than anything.

They made their way around the room which felt more like a warehouse than a building fit to host an art show. But Tzuyu could see why they chose it—there was plenty of wall space to display Chaeyoung’s paintings. Chaeyoung’s style was unique, bold, just like Chaeyoung herself. It was bright colors and harsh lines, filled with figures and animals that looked just slightly off in an artistic way. Tzuyu paused in front of one of her favorites—a strawberry, rot just beginning to show, still on the vine. There was something about it that spoke to Tzuyu.

“Oh, there she is!” Dahyun gripped Tzuyu’s arm and something sparked, but Tzuyu didn’t have time to think about it because Chaeyoung was in front of her, talking to someone Tzuyu didn’t recognize—wait, yes she did recognize them.

“That’s the girl from the club!” Tzuyu hissed, grabbing Dahyun’s arm, shaking her a bit.

“I’m sure they’re just friends,” Dahyun tried to reassure her.

Tzuyu didn’t know what she wanted to do. Part of her wanted to turn around, run out of there in… anger? Despair? But more of her wanted to march right up to them and loop her arm through Chaeyoung’s, claiming her rightful spot.

“I’m going over there,” Tzuyu said, bracing herself with another sip of her drink.

“Okay…” Dahyun seemed like she wanted to say something again, but instead she just nodded. “I’ll be around if you need me, okay?”

“Thanks, Dahyun.” She squeezed her arm. “I appreciate it. I feel better knowing you’re here.” She felt herself blush when Dahyun smiled at her words. What was this? Was it the alcohol?

She shook her head. Right now she had to focus on Chaeyoung. She walked over, a smile plastered on her face.

“Hi, honey.” She leaned down and kissed Chaeyoung’s cheek. “The show looks amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, baby,” Chaeyoung said, kissing Tzuyu chastely on the lips.

Tzuyu was tempted to deepen it in front of this girl from the club, but she restrained herself.

“Ah, let me introduce the two of you!” Chaeyoung clapped her hands together, excitement written all over her face.

Tzuyu didn’t really want to be introduced to another one of Chaeyoung’s crushes, but she just grinned, deciding to bear it for now.

“This is my lovely girlfriend, Tzuyu,” Chaeyoung said, taking Tzuyu’s hand in her own. “And Tzuyu, this is one of the artists I admire most in the world, ZionT. I’ve shown you some of his artwork before.”

His?

Tzuyu genuinely smiled now. “So nice to meet you! I won’t take Chaeyoung away from you. You two continue talking, please, and I’ll go say hi to some of our other friends.” She kissed Chaeyoung one more time before taking her leave, feeling a bit lighter.

She meant to find Dahyun again to tell her the good news, but then she saw her—Momo. Tzuyu watched as Momo entered the room, looking awkward and a bit forlorn. Tzuyu stood there frozen, unsure if she should go up to her or not. She and Momo had shared some kind of intimate conversations and it was unclear if she and Nayeon were even talking. Momo probably needs someone. But if she did that, was she betraying Mina? Was she supposed to freeze Momo out?

No, that doesn’t feel right.

Tzuyu finished off the rest of her drink. She wished she could get another, but she had something more important to do right now.

“Momo!” She hurried over to the other girl. “Hey, how are you?”

Momo looked surprised that Tzuyu had approached her. “Oh, um… Well, not great.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tzuyu motioned for Momo to follow her to a quieter part of the room where they had a bit of privacy.

“I… I didn’t know if I should even come,” Momo admitted. “Even right now I feel like I should just leave, like I’m going to ruin Chaeyoung’s night.”

“You’re like family to Chaeyoung. I’m sure she wants you here,” Tzuyu tried to comfort her. She wasn’t sure if that was true right now, but she hoped it was.

“Not after what I did to Mina. God, I feel horrible about it. I was drinking and I was upset and hurt and I just…” Momo shook her head. “I shouldn’t have done that. Nayeon checks in on me, but we haven’t talked. She hasn’t even been home.”

Tzuyu was surprised to hear that. Wasn’t polyamory all about open, honest communication?

“I want to see her so badly. I miss her so much.” Tears began to gather in Momo’s eyes. “I just felt like she was valuing everyone else over me and I handled it so poorly.”

“Let’s go find her,” Tzuyu said. She wasn’t sure if that was the right idea, and she was vaguely aware that she would probably advise a patient not to do this, but Momo wasn’t her patient and she was off the clock. The drink probably factored into this, too, she had to admit.

She pulled Momo along before the other girl could protest. After making her way halfway around the room, she spotted Nayeon. Nayeon was with Jihyo and Jeongyeon, head tipped back as she laughed. Something shot through Tzuyu. How could Nayeon just be there, laughing, when her girlfriend was hurting so badly?

“Tzuyu, maybe we shouldn’t,” Momo said, fear evident in her voice.

“No, we should,” Tzuyu said. “Unless you really don’t want to?” She paused, realizing she shouldn’t strongarm Momo into this.

“I want to,” Momo said so softly Tzuyu almost couldn’t hear her. But that was all Tzuyu needed to know.

They made their way over to the three girls, Jeongyeon spotting them first, her eyes widening. She tapped Nayeon on the shoulder and pointed in their direction. Nayeon turned around, her face going pale when she saw Momo. They stood frozen, ten feet apart from each other, and it felt like the room was silent, empty of everyone aside from them.

Momo was the first to break the spell, bravely walking up to Nayeon.

“Nayeon, please. Please talk to me?”

“You shouldn’t be doing this here,” Nayeon said. Tzuyu could tell from her face that Nayeon was conflicted about what to do. “It’s not fair to Chaeyoung. You said you weren’t coming, too. You shouldn’t lie.”

“I thought it over again and I just… I just had to. I miss you so much and I want to apologize to Mina.”

“She doesn’t want to see you right now!” Nayeon snapped.

Momo stepped back as if she’d been struck.

“Not here, Momo. Later.” Nayeon crossed her arms.

“When is later?” Momo asked, her voice desperate.

Before Nayeon could reply, someone spoke into the microphone, instantly silencing the room.

“We’re here tonight to celebrate the art of Seoul’s very own Son Chaeyoung!” A woman, who Tzuyu guessed owned the venue, said. “Chaeyoung is a rare kind of artist. She knows who she is and she knows how to express herself. We’re honored to be the first to exhibit her art. Without further todo, please welcome Son Chaeyoung!”

Everyone clapped as Chaeyoung walked over to the microphone.

“Thank you so much for coming tonight, everyone,” she said with a shy smile, eyes taking in everyone who came to celebrate her. “I’m so grateful to Seoul Studio for hosting me and for supporting my artwork. So many artists I admire, artists who inspire me, came tonight. It feels like I’m in a dream!” The room laughed.

“I have so many people to thank. My family, who’s supported my art and my dream since I was a little girl. My friends, who are my other family. I’m no one without you. And then there’s someone very special to me, someone whose love has kept me sane.” Chaeyoung found Tzuyu in the crowd, their eyes locking. “My beautiful, brilliant girlfriend, Tzuyu. I love you, baby.” Chaeyoung turned her attention back to the rest of the audience after a moment, leaving Tzuyu blushing..

“And thank you so much to the staff who made this possible. Thank you for putting up with my agonizing over where to hang every last painting and changing my mind a few too many times.” More laughter echoed through the room. “And lastly, thank you to all of you who came tonight. I hope you enjoy the show!”

Chaeyoung stepped out of the spotlight to much applause. Tzuyu began to make her way toward Chaeyoung, ready to kiss her, congratulate her, when suddenly Mina was there. Mina was hugging Chaeyoung and Chaeyoung’s eyes were sparkling as she looked up at Mina.

Her eyes sparkle for Mina the same way they sparkle for me.

That’s when it hit Tzuyu. Chaeyoung could love her, call her her girlfriend in front of a literal crowd of about a hundred people, but when she looked at someone else the same way she looked at Tzuyu… it was too much.

I can’t do this.

The realization slammed into her, threatening to push her underwater.

I love Chaeyoung, I love her so much.

Tzuyu felt the room begin to close in on her.

I love her, but love isn’t enough.

Tzuyu turned away, making her way toward the door as quickly as she could. Tears were prickling at her eyes, blinding her, and she bumped into someone.

“Tzuyu?”

Dahyun.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Dahyun asked, grabbing Tzuyu’s arm. 

Tzuyu just shook her head.

“Okay, okay, let’s go outside. It’ll be okay.”

Tzuyu didn’t know how to tell Dahyun that it wouldn’t be okay. But she let Dahyun lead her outside, she let Dahyun sit her down on a nearby bench, and then she finally let herself cry.

In her mind, it echoed over and over in her head, haunting her, tearing her apart from the inside out.

I love her, but love isn’t enough. 

Chapter Text

Nayeon had been checking in with Momo. It’s not like she didn’t love her anymore, she was just so shocked by the behavior and every time Nayeon brought it up, Momo would stonewall. She couldn’t get a straight answer out of her, and she also couldn’t understand what was going on. So she made sure to send a good morning and a good night text, make sure she ate her meals, and also to check in about events. She had mostly gotten one word answers, and the other girl never initiated. Momo had said she wasn’t going to Chaeyoung’s art show earlier, which is why she was so stunned to see her at the aforementioned event. 

Momo looked worse for wear. Not her outfit, but there were bags under her eyes, her hair was not its usual perfection, and her countenance looked worn. She probably hadn’t slept in days, and Nayeon knew it was because Momo really only slept when she was around. Momo seemed nervous, anxiously looking around the room. 

“Uh, did Momo tell you she was going to be here? Because she is,” Jeongyeon said quickly, pointing at Momo who was cautiously walking towards them. Alarms started going off in Nayeon’s mind, tonight wasn’t about them. It was about all the work Chaeyoung had done, and it was that girl’s opportunity to celebrate with everyone she cared about most. She also knew Mina wasn’t quite ready to see her yet.  

“Jihyo, can you let Sana and Mina know that Momo is here? Let me handle this,” Nayeon said quickly. Jihyo nodded, waving at Momo before walking off to find the other Japanese women. 

“Nayeon, please. Please talk to me?” Nayeon could hear the desperation in her voice, and it nearly broke her. She missed her so much, her chest ached hearing her in pain like that. She was so confused, this didn’t feel like the girl she had been texting. 

“You shouldn’t be doing this here,” Nayeon said calmly. She was trying to remain neutral. For what reason, she didn’t know. She knew they needed to talk but they also couldn’t cause a scene here, it was Chaeyoung’s night.

“I thought it over again and I just… I just had to. I miss you so much and I want to apologize to Mina.”

Something about the way Momo was talking snapped something in Nayeon. She knew the girl meant it, but she couldn’t understand why it had happened in the first place. Why did she do what she did? Why had she been texting her like a stranger? It felt like they had been careening towards a cliff and she was the last to know. “She doesn’t want to see you right now!”

Nayeon didn’t like the way Momo backed away from her, as if she was scared. She turned to the girl and tried to decide what to do, how to fix this. She didn’t like the way she felt right now. It was all too overwhelming.

“Not here, Momo. Later.”

“When is later?” Nayeon could hear the pleading in Momo’s voice, and truthfully she wanted to know the answers, too. She saw Chaeyoung walking up to the podium and sighed. 

Nayeon softened. “After this, ok?” She saw Momo relax a little and nod. She tried her best to listen to Chaeyoung, but all she could think about was the questions she had for Momo. She didn’t know how to handle this because she had been with Mina this whole time, that was the only thing she knew. Nayeon also knew that it wasn’t like Momo to do something like that. She wished she knew how to fix everything. 

When they walked outside together, the cold air hit Nayeon’s face and she paused to look at Momo. The walls were down, and it seemed like something had shifted. 

“Can I... have a hug?” Momo asked quietly, barely above a whisper. Nayeon immediately closed the distance between them, embracing Momo as they both started crying. It broke Nayeon’s heart to think about the space that had grown between them. It wasn’t what she had wanted but she didn’t know how to pull Momo closer when she kept avoiding her. 

Momo composed herself and stepped back, looking at Nayeon under the street lamp, mascara down her face and snot down her nose. “You look beautiful,” Momo laughed, breaking the tension a bit. 

Nayeon gave a small smile, raising her hand to wipe away Momo’s tears. “What happened, baby? Can you tell me, because I haven’t been able to figure anything out.”

“Well you never asked-”

“I did!” Nayeon caught herself getting defensive and seeing Momo’s walls slowly rising, decided to take a step back. “I’m sorry. I love you, I want to understand what’s going on so we can work through it together.”

Momo sighed, walls falling again. “At the end of the day, I thought I was losing you to everyone else, like you were slipping through my fingers. I was hurting so bad and I thought I was doing a good job of telling you, and you were ignoring it. I snapped at the club, I didn’t mean to hurt Mina and I feel so fucking bad about what happened. It’s been eating me up, she didn’t deserve that at all. I just wanted you to hurt, too, so maybe you’d understand how hurt I was. And I know I should’ve just talked to you, and I’m really sorry for that. Then when you stayed at Jihyo’s after, I felt like that’s what I deserved. Everyone else gets care but not me, I just sit on the outside and look at the happy family.” 

Nayeon started crying again. She had figured it was something along these lines, but she didn’t know how extreme it had been for Momo. Obviously what had happened with Mina was inexcusable, but Momo knew that, too. She looked at how hurt Momo was, and she thought about her hand in it. She hadn’t been strong with their rituals and made extra effort to reconnect. Momo had tried to reach out several times, and she had put it off in the name of showing up for someone else. Their status quo had been upset, and she had been too absorbed in her own things to recognize what she had put her partner through. 

“I’m so sorry, Momo. I had no idea you were feeling like that and I’m so sorry you had to carry it by yourself. I can see your effort and I’m sorry you felt like you had to act out to get my attention. I want to make this better, how can I do that? What is going to help?” Nayeon cried.

Momo leaned over and buried her face in Nayeon’s chest, taking it in for a second. They hadn’t been away from each other for awhile, and certainly not under these circumstances. “I need to make things better with Mina first, can you help me with that?”

Nayeon nodded. She had talked it over with Sana before, what they would do in this situation since Nayeon had an inkling this is what would happen. She knew what needed to happen next and would talk it through with everyone before scheduling a time to make it happen. 

“I love you, Momo. I’m sorry you thought for even a second that I didn’t. You’re my rock, I don’t know where I’d be without you.” Momo squeezed Nayeon even tighter. 

Momo’s voice came out muffled. “I just needed to know that. I should’ve told you, I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Nayeon sobbed. This was a common occurrence between them. They would rupture but would always end up coming back together. 

“I missed you so much,” Momo mumbled into Nayeon’s shoulder. 

“I missed you, too, baby.” They stood there for a while, just embracing each other and breathing. Something about it soothed Nayeon, and she wondered how they had strayed so far from each other. “Can I come home tonight?”

“Absolutely,” Momo whispered, a weight leaving her body. 

“I think it’d be best if we left together though, should we get back in there and say bye to everyone?” Nayeon asked, to which Momo nodded slowly. 

“Is that... Tzuyu? And Dahyun?” Momo asked as she pulled away, a confused look on her face. Two figures had just rushed out of the building, the taller one clearly emotional as the other trailed behind, trying to console her. 

Nayeon had wondered about the two of them, and as she walked over with Momo to assess the situation, she made a mental note to ask Momo about this later. She also missed the chapter where Momo and Tzuyu got close. Was this? A new pairing? 

“You ok, Tzu?” Momo asked. Nayeon noticed the makeup running down Tzuyu’s face and Dahyun’s hesitant hand placement on her back. Interesting. 

“I’m ok, I just need a minute,” Tzuyu said reflexively. She paused and looked at Momo and Nayeon. “Are you two ok?”

“We will be,” Nayeon jumped in quickly, grabbing Momo’s hand. 

“That’s good, it’s good to see you, Momo,” Tzuyu replied with a small smile. Momo offered her some tissues from her pocket. 

“Wait, where were those earlier?” Nayeon asked with a puzzled look on her face. Momo quickly shushed her, pulling a tissue out for Nayeon and cleaning up some of her makeup. Dahyun awkwardly stood between them, clearly torn about whether or not she should stay or go. 

“You too, Tzuyu. Take care of her, ok Dahyun?” Momo said with a wink before leading Nayeon back through the doors. 

“So you see it, too?” Nayeon whisper yelled as they weaved through the bodies in the gallery. 

“We can talk about it later,” Momo laughed. “I’m just going to say bye to Chaeyoung, Jihyo, and Jeongyeon and then I’ll meet you at the car?”

Nayeon nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before heading through the crowd. The idea of finally going home was nice, and she had missed Momo dearly. They would probably need a day or two to reconnect and figure out what would work for them, but she looked forward to the opportunity. Momo mattered to her, and she wanted the girl to know that. 

She finally found Mina and Sana, tucked in the corner of the room. Sana gave Nayeon a small smile, knowing what she had orchestrated tonight to make sure Chaeyoung had a nice night.

Mina waved at her, eyes sparkling. They both looked stunning, but the energy radiating from Mina was drawing her in. She walked over and hugged both of them, leaving kisses on both their cheeks. 

“Did you guys have a good night?” Nayeon asked. Mina started excitedly talking about the art work and how she had enjoyed Chaeyoung’s explanations. Nayeon could only smile and nod, Sana reaching over and giving her hand a squeeze of appreciation.

When Mina reached the end of her description of the night and Sana had chimed in, Nayeon let them know she was heading out. They both gave her hugs, Mina giving her a small peck on the cheek and Sana kissing her on the lips as they had done so many times before. Nayeon felt extremely lucky, having all these loving relationships in her life. She loved the doting and affection from each person, and the idea of learning and growing with all these people made her heart soar. She made her rounds, saying goodbye to her friends before heading out to the car where Momo was patiently waiting. 

Nayeon rolled the windows down, the air whipping through her hair as she watched the lights stream by. She looked over at Momo, who finally seemed at peace after days of turmoil. She reached over and placed her hand on Momo’s leg, squeezing it out of affection. Momo placed her hand on top of Nayeon’s, grabbing it and bringing it to her lips to kiss. Things finally seemed to be falling into place, and Nayeon couldn’t help but smile. 

-

The next morning, Nayeon woke up feeling refreshed. She had done a fair amount of talking (and not talking) with Momo, and they had landed somewhere solid for both of them. They brought back the standing date night and decided on check ins after dates with others. She took a minute to admire Momo asleep next to her before picking up her phone. 

She had over a hundred notifications, most notably twenty calls from her pr agency, five calls from Sana, and a notification from her dog’s groomer. She shrugged, opening Twitter to see what her fans were up to. Her eyes went wide as she started scrolling. 

mynamoischris: I can’t believe I ever shipped them #momodeservesbetter

hamtozakiiiii: this must be why they hang out all the time? they posted together the other day right? queens

chefm0m0chine: I always knew something was up, they were too perfect

yeonyeonyeon237: nayeon never shuts up why is she choosing now to stay silent 😭

xosanasbitch: all the girls want a piece of her and I get it 

nyhandstanaccount: i’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for this, Nayeon loves Momo, there’s no way she’s a cheater

nayeonluvr09: don’t get me wrong, I would kiss Minatozaki Sana too if I got the chance but damn what about Momo I feel so bad

1babybluenayeon: [closed]

Nayeon’s eyes went wide as she read through the comments. Her mind started racing, trying to figure out how people had even started putting this together. Sana was out as poly, but Nayeon’s agency hadn’t fully given the green light to come out yet. Then there was the issue of Momo, who was a bystander in this as far as the internet knew, along with Mina. She saw a call from her agency come in again, and she quickly rejected it. She needed to regain her bearings before they had a conversation. 

“What’s going on?” Momo mumbled, sensing the energy shift and slowly waking up.  

“People think I’m cheating on you with Sana.” 

Chapter Text

Dahyun sat next to Tzuyu on the bench outside the art show. Nayeon and Momo had gone by and went somewhere, hopefully to reconcile, but none of their other friends had emerged. Dahyun decided that that was good. She could get Tzuyu somewhere quiet and private where they could talk.

“How about we go to my place?” Dahyun offered.

Tzuyu shook her head. “I just want to go home.”

Dahyun didn’t feel right about letting Tzuyu go home like this. She felt like someone should be there for her right now.

But should that person be me? she wondered.

“Let me take you home,” Dahyun offered after a moment. “I insist,” she added before Tzuyu could protest.

Tzuyu sighed. “Okay,” she said, her shoulders slumping a bit. “Sorry for taking you away from the party. I know Chaeyoung is like… your best friend. I don’t want to make things weird between you two.”

“Chaeyoung and I will be fine,” Dahyun said quickly. “Let’s focus on you right now.” She stood, offering Tzuyu her hand.

Tzuyu stared at her hand for a moment before taking it, letting Dahyun pull her to her feet. There was something there when their palms touched… Something Dahyun hadn’t expected to feel.

“So, uh, where do you live?” Dahyun asked, letting go of Tzuyu’s hand and suddenly missing the warmth of it.

“Oh, I’ll lead the way.”

Tzuyu seemed to have sobered up quickly, and her tears seemed to have completely stopped. The more Dahyun studied her face, the more she could see the sadness swimming in her eyes. Her lips were pursed, her forehead taunt. She didn’t look okay. She didn’t look like the girl who usually held it all together.

They walked in silence, eventually getting on a bus, which was quiet at this time of night.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dahyun risked breaking the silence between them as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder.

“I think I cried enough about it,” Tzuyu said, sounding a bit robotic. “Sorry for being such a mess.” 

“Don’t apologize.” The last thing Dahyun wanted was for Tzuyu to feel like she had to apologize for her feelings.

“It feels so dumb,” Tzuyu continued. “I should have at least waited until I was home to have my complete breakdown.”

“Would you tell a patient that?” Dahyun asked.

“Not fair,” Tzuyu mumbled.

“What would you tell them?” Dahyun felt like this was a risky line of questioning. Tzuyu might snap or shut down. But she also felt like it might just work.

“To feel their feelings,” Tzuyu mumbled. “But I’m me, I’m not them,” she said a bit indignantly.

“But you’re right,” Dahyun encouraged her. “If you feel like something in your relationship isn’t working, you have to listen to that.” Dahyun glanced up at the other girl, but Tzuyu’s face was expressionless.

“I’ll think about it,” she finally said. She stood, motioning for Dahyun to get up. “This is my stop. I’ve got it from here.”

“Nope, I’m seeing you home.” Dahyun didn’t wait for permission. She followed Tzuyu off the bus, walking quickly beside her to keep up with the other girl’s long strides.

“You really don’t have to,” Tzuyu mumbled.

“I’m your friend, and this is what friends do.” Dahyun was surprised to see something akin to pain cross Tzuyu’s face. Had she misread things? Did Tzuyu not want to be her friend?

“Thanks,” Tzuyu finally said. “Sorry for being so ungrateful. It’s just been a rough night.” She stopped in front of a nondescript brick building. “This is me.” She looked down at her feet. “Now I’m worried about you going home by yourself. Do you want to stay over?”

Dahyun’s heart rate quickened at the words, but she wasn’t sure why. Tzuyu was just being nice and considerate, after all.

“N-no thanks,” Dahyun stammered out. “I know the way home. But goodnight, Tzuyu. Text or call if you need me, okay?”

“Okay,” Tzuyu said. “Thanks, Dahyun.” She offered Dahyun a weak smile before disappearing into her building.

As Dahyun made her way home, she puzzled over what to make of the situation Tzuyu and Chaeyoung were in. From the outside, it seemed obvious that they should break up. Tzuyu kept getting repeatedly hurt, and it was over something they couldn’t change. But Dahyun knew it was more complicated than that because they loved each other, truly loved each other.

Will I ever have that with someone?

Dahyun shook the sudden thought from her head and tried to switch her focus to something else. Because there was something else bothering her, actually. Tzuyu seemed to have a habit, one that could be bad for her if it went too far, and she seemed entirely unaware of it, too. She seemed to rely on alcohol just a little bit too much. Dahyun worriedly bit her lip as she thought over all the times Tzuyu drank a bit too much in front of her, and her comments from earlier tonight.

Dahyun’s thoughts were cut short when she reached home, expecting to return to an empty house since she assumed everyone was still out celebrating Chaeyoung. She was surprised when she saw Sana in the kitchen, a cup of steaming tea in front of her. Her elbows were on the counter, her head in her hands.

“You okay?”

Sana’s head snapped up at the sound of Dahyun’s voice.

“Headache,” Sana said, sinking onto the stool tucked under the island. “I feel lame, but I just had to come home.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Why are you home, actually?”

“Oh, um, Tzuyu had… she had a bad night.” Dahyun felt like she shouldn’t tell Sana exactly what happened, and Sana didn’t push.

“That’s good you could be there for her,” was all she said.

“Yeah, I just…” Dahyun leaned on the counter and sighed. “I’m worried about her, actually. Did you ever notice she drinks a bit too much?”

Sana was silent for a moment. “I don’t think I paid enough attention, probably because she and I aren’t dating, which sounds awful now that I say it outloud.” She grimaced. 

“Nah, you’re dating so many people that it makes sense.” Dahyun waved it off.

“You’re very observant, so I say you should trust what you see. Have you talked to her about it?”

“No, she’s not really in a place to talk about it. She has too much else going on.”

Sana nodded. “Tuck it away for later, then. Trust your instincts, Dahyunnie.”

Dahyun’s heart did a little flip at the nickname.

“I’m going to head up,” Dahyun said, a yawn escaping her. “I hope your headache goes away soon.”

“Thanks,” Sana said with a small smile. “A little Tylenol and tea should do the trick. Goodnight, Dahyunnie.”

Dahyun slipped away, sighing once she was alone in her room. She went about her normal routine, sighing again when she sank onto her bed, snuggling in under the covers. She was asleep so quickly that she was a bit confused when she woke up, shocked to find it was 10:30 AM. She never slept in. Her stomach grumbled right away, making her laugh to herself.

“Fine, fine, let’s go eat,” she mumbled.

Dahyun half expected to find Sana in the kitchen since they always seemed to meet there, but no one was there. Instead, she saw Sana, Jihyo, and Mina huddled on one of the couches in the living room, talking quickly in hushed tones. They looked… upset? Every now and then, Jihyo’s voice got louder, and Dahyun began to piece things together.

“This is bad,” Jihyo exclaimed. “They’re calling Nayeon a cheater!”

Sana said something, her hand in Jihyo’s.

“One of us needs to talk to her. And Momo! Oh my god, Momo.”

Sana said something else, and Jihyo just shook her head.

“It’s all over the internet! All over Twitter! It’s too late! Momo has to come out or Nayeon will be branded a cheater!” Jihyo looked on the verge of tears, so there was no way Dahyun was going into the living room.

She took her apple and snuck back upstairs to the upstairs living room, which slightly hung over the downstairs one. She sat on an arm chair, just out of view, and opened Twitter on her phone. She didn’t even have to type in a search term—it came up for her right away. Nayeon, Momo, and Sana were all treading.

The first thing that came up was a video of Nayeon kissing Sana at the art show. It was a bit grainy because they hadn’t been the subjects of the video—they were just in the background—but the video was… well, pretty damning. She scrolled through Twitter, taking in all the tweets about her friends.

hamtozakiiiii: all of you coming for sana better be careful bc I can dox faster than you can say minatozaki sana 

chefmomo: is anyone else worried abt momo??? why is everyone defending the cheater !!

nayeonscheekies: where the hell is Nayeon!! Wake up and clear this up queen! I know you ain’t a cheater but the rest of the gd world won’t shut up about it

naymomo07: yall, look at this… this may have been going on way longer than we knew

Dahyun watched the attached video—a slo-mo of Nayeon being a little bit too handsy with Sana at some influencer event they’d both been at. She read some of the replies under it.

modelmina01: whoa… I literally never noticed how close they seem to be… what does Mina think?? is Sana cheating too?!

xosanasbitch: ummm so this must mean mina is poly too??? bc we all know sana is

Dahyun scrolled to another post, this one a video compilation of all the times Nayeon and Sana were seen together interspersed with what were essentially thirst trap shots of each of them set to “Style” by Taylor Swift.

naynaysgirl08: I’m not unstanning until we hear from nayeon herself. yall are a bit too quick to jump to conclusions. some of yall are still just babies and it shows

sanasnose: omg you guys… did u ever notice sana and nayeon have worn some of the same clothes !! look omgomgomg 

There was a picture of Sana at an event in a designer hoodie, and then one of Nayeon wearing it in a video of her trying (and failing) to cook without Momo. There was another of Nayeon in a t-shirt that read “don’t cook but I got good taste” in bold red letters, and a paparazzi photo of Sana holding Mina’s hand, wearing the same shirt.

“Oh man,” Dahyun whispered. “This is bad.”

She was distracted from her phone by Chaeyoung emerging from her room.

“Hey, um, where did Tzuyu go last night?”

It was clear Chaeyoung hadn’t seen the news, which wasn’t shocking given how little she went on social media.

“I think you need to talk to her.” Dahyun set her phone down and focused on her friend. “Like now, Chae.”

Chaeyoung nodded. “I’ll call her. Or… maybe I need to see her.”

“Call first.” Dahyun wasn’t sure if Tzuyu was ready to see Chaeyoung. Her face softened a bit. “Just talk to her, okay?”

“Thanks, bro. I will.” Chaeyoung started to head downstairs when Dahyun called her over.

“You should know about something that went down last night.” She handed her phone to Chaeyoung, letting her scroll for a bit.

“Oh, oh shit,” Chaeyoung said. “Does Nayeon even know?”

“I’m not sure,” Dahyun admitted. “I figured the others might want to handle it on their own. I just thought you should know because they might want some space.”

“Yeah, thanks for letting me know, dude. I just hope they’re okay.”

Dahyun bit her bottom lip. “Me, too,” she said, going back to her phone. She wished she knew how Nayeon was doing, but she figured time would tell. Until then… until then she would just keep scrolling.

Chapter Text

Mina anxiously sat in Sana’s room across from Momo. She wasn’t quite sure what to say, what was appropriate, or what would feel safest. Nayeon and Sana were both supposed to be here, but given the rampant spread of misinformation on social media, Nayeon decided to stay at her apartment. She was also in hot water with her pr team, and had been trying to figure out what to do to best support all parties involved. Sana had been slinking around the house, moping because she missed Nayeon. She had cryptically left the house earlier, telling Mina she could call her if she needed. Mina toyed with a loose thread on her oversized t-shirt, twirling it in between her thumb and pointer finger. 

Momo looked a little disheveled. Between fielding the rumors and working on her new restaurant, she was exhausted. But she was still here because she wanted to make things right. She finally broke the silence, voice wavering. “I’m really sorry, Mina. I never should have done what I did to you and I feel horrible about the whole situation. I’d like to hear how it affected you and explain what was going on for me if you’re open to it?” 

Mina scanned Momo’s facing, looking for any signs of anger. Momo’s eyes were soft, downturned slightly. Her mouth was in a slight frown, and there were bags under her eyes. Momo had never been one to be driven towards anger, however she also had never been one to kiss people out of nowhere. Mina hesitantly nodded. Her hands were sweaty and her mouth suddenly went dry, but she had thought about what she wanted to say at this moment for so long. She took a deep breath. 

“I was just... surprised. I know we had kind of started talking, but I don’t really move like that. I like to take things slow, so when you kissed me, it hurt. I felt like whatever trust we had was immediately broken when it happened because I wasn’t ready for that step. I also felt like you were using me to get back at Nayeon and Sana for their stupid game, which I get because I hate their games, too, but maybe it would’ve been better to just talk to them about it rather than take it out on me like that.” 

Momo took it in for a moment before responding. “Yeah, you are right on all fronts. I think there were plenty of better ways of handling Nayeon and Sana, and I’m sorry I acted out and it hurt you and our relationship. I feel terrible for breaking your trust, and I’d like to take some steps to rebuild. But again, I’m so sorry for hurting you like that, Mina.”

“Why did you do it?” Mina whispered. The question had haunted her for weeks now, and she could tell Momo was remorseful, so now she just wanted to understand. Why Momo had done something that had left her bed ridden for days. She quickly wiped at her eyes, hoping to stop the tears before they fell. 

Momo noticed the tears in Mina’s eyes and spoke from her heart. She talked about the strain she had felt in her relationship with Nayeon, how they didn’t seem to be seeing or speaking to each other despite being in the same room and talking. How she liked Mina, and had been excited about the prospect of getting to know each other better. How it felt like a dark cloud when Nayeon entered, and turned things upside down for her in several ways. She talked about how it had all come to a head at the club, and how she hadn’t been able to control what she was doing and it had all happened so fast. She talked about what happened after, how she’d locked herself away and regretted it so deeply. How she had spiralled out and felt like maybe it would be best to just walk away from everyone, and how much she missed everyone. 

Mina reflected on the things Momo was saying, softening as she listened. She understood it all, entirely. She understood the impulse, it had happened to her before. Sana had instilled in her the importance of communication, and that was the only reason something like this hadn’t happened to her yet. For that, she was grateful. But she knew what the demons sounded like, and they could be strong.

“I get it,” Mina said quietly, Momo sitting there shocked. “I’ve been there. And while I’m not mad at you anymore, I do think it will take some time to get back to where we were. I’m sorry-”

“Don’t apologize. I was the one that caused the fracture, and if you’ll allow me, I want to know how to work on rebuilding that trust with you,” Momo interjected quickly, sensitive to how Mina was feeling. 

Truthfully, this was the most time they had spent alone ever. All of their time usually involved someone else in their polycule, or at a minimum in their household. It was almost never quiet there. Mina was appreciating the way Momo took responsibility for what had happened and seemed to want to make things better. 

“I uh hear your stomach growling, I was planning on making oyakodon if you wanted to join me in the kitchen?” Momo said nervously with a small smile. “I know it’s your favorite, so I asked Jeongyeon to pick up all the ingredients the other day. She said it wasn’t a big deal but I know I won’t be able to live it down. However, with all the stuff going on...”

Momo trailed off and Mina smiled. She had mentioned in passing once how much she missed the stall by her house that made oyakodon, and she was surprised Momo even remembered. 

They worked quietly together in the kitchen, Momo passing along some tasks for Mina to do. “Make sure you keep the whites of the scallions separate from the greens. It’s prettier as a garnish when you do the greens.”

Suddenly, Momo’s phone buzzed, Nayeon’s name lit up on the screen. I did something bad

“That can’t be good,” Mina mumbled after Momo told her. Jeongyeon and Sana walked through the door, disturbing the quiet cooking that had been happening. 

“Do you think they recognized us?” Sana asked, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge, pulling a drink out and waltzing over to give Momo and Mina a kiss. 

“This can’t be good, I don’t even understand how they knew we would be there?” Jeongyeon was pacing the kitchen, as if the answers would be revealed the more she walked. “I have a reputation to uphold, this can’t get out.”

“It’ll be ok, Jeongie,” Sana said, “I’ll make sure of it.”

“What’s going on?” Mina asked. She was working on whipping the eggs, Momo keeping an eye on the chicken and onions in the pan. 

“Someone couldn’t be without their girlfriend,” Jeongyeon scoffed, arms folded. 

Sana whipped around quickly, tapping Jeongyeon repeatedly on the chest. “You’re one to talk! You missed her, too!” 

“Ok fine, I did, I can’t help it. That’s why I’m in her clothes, I miss that annoying girl,” Jeongyeon sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs in the dining room. “Either way, we hatched a plan to go visit her. Which we did, and we saw Nayeon and she’s so sad. Momo I don’t know how you do it, she’s so pouty.”

“I love her pouty face,” Mina said quietly, to which Sana smirked, teasing her a little for it. This whole thing had blown up so quickly. Luckily, no one was making assumptions about her, Mina’s relationship with Sana was public and people assumed she was ok with the polyamory but not polyamorous herself. No one had seen her out with Chaeyoung, and they had kept it rather platonic in public as they figured things out. She was ok with that, however watching things implode for Nayeon, she wondered if she needed to be more thoughtful as she navigated things. 

“We figured we were in the clear, but then when we were leaving, there were paps everywhere. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough,” Sana filled in. 

Dahyun entered the kitchen slowly. “Uhh guys, you’re going to want to see this.” Everyone crowded around her phone. 

DISPATCH: NAYEON’S RENDEZVOUS WITH TOKYO’S FAVORITE MODEL AND THE WEATHER WOMAN

Updated 10 minutes ago

Plastered on the front was a grainy image of Sana and Jeongyeon in a car in front of Nayeon’s house, along with images of them walking out of the house, looking around, and getting back into the car. It was unmistakably them. There was information around the previous videos that had been released, along with some new rumors, specifically surrounding the articles of clothing they were wearing. 

“They work fast, oh my god,” Momo mumbled as she skimmed the article. 

“They recognized me by my NOSE, that's insane?!” Sana exclaimed.

Mina leaned over and kissed her nose. “It’s a cute one, I can’t blame them.” 

“Oh shit, we are BOTH wearing Nayeon’s clothes,” Jeongyeon grumbled. 

“You know that can only mean one thing, right?” Dahyun asked, a worried look on her face. 

“Wait... are we all wearing Nayeon’s clothes right now?” Momo asked, looking around the room. Jeongyeon had a monogrammed hoodie from Nayeon’s brand deal with Ralph Lauren, Sana had a hoodie Nayeon had worn a couple weeks ago on her instagram, Momo had her lucky jacket, and even Mina was in one of her t-shirts. Mina wondered what the laundry situation was like at her house. 

“It’s only a matter of time before you get something, Dahyunie,” Sana teased, laughing as Dahyun blushed. 

“Umm when did Nayeon tweet, ‘I’m not a cheater. You don’t know what people are going through, please respect me and Momo’s privacy act this time.’” Jeongyeon asked, heart rate suddenly escalating. Mina hadn’t seen them like this since Jeongyeon had to consider whether or not she would take a promotion. 

“Nayeon’s tweet sounds like her, which in this case... perhaps isn’t the best thing.” Mina knew how Nayeon worked, and she imagined Nayeon had probably gone crazy in her apartment by herself, stewing over the comments rolling in, drafting tweet after tweet before landing on this. She definitely wouldn’t have run this by Momo, and she certainly did not run this by her pr team. 

As if Sana could read her mind, she nodded. “Can someone call Nayeon, what is she thinking?”

“Probably nothing,” Momo sighed deeply. She turned off the stove, grabbing bowls from the cupboards to start dishing out dinner. “That’s not fair, but this was... This was not a good move.” 

“Nayeon, what were you thinking?!” Jeongyeon asked, Nayeon’s face on the phone in her hands. “Why didn’t you talk to any of us? Or your pr team about this? Do you know how serious this could get? My job-”

“I’m sorry baby, I know, I just. I couldn’t stay quiet any longer-” Nayeon sobbed. Mina hated when she cried, she looked like a sad puppy. 

Sana grabbed the phone, looking affectionately at the girl. “I know, I know, I’m sorry baby girl. You’ve been going through a lot and people are being really mean to you! And they think they know things when they don’t. I get why you did it and I think we need to have a family meeting.”

The room fell quiet. They regularly met for family dinner, and they all were seeing each other all the time, but family meetings were rare. They were almost always called by Jihyo, and they were only scheduled when shit hit the fan. Mina watched as Momo nervously ate her food, looking around the room at everyone else. Sana had also never called one before, but the vibe in the room was tense, Jeongyeon clearly getting more and more upset as time went on as she watched her career hang in the balance of the two girl’s carelessness. 

Mina remembered her first family meeting. It had essentially been a meeting to lay out agreements and expectations around the polycule, such as scheduling and STI testing. It was nice because she had never had things laid out like that before, and for her it was helpful. She remembered listening to Sana explain how she wanted to navigate her relationships, and everyone was able to talk about what they wanted. She really valued the open communication between all of them, recognizing that under different circumstances, that could’ve gone poorly. 

The phone was being passed around, everyone sharing various messages with Nayeon, who each of them missed dearly. Mina noted how Momo smiled when she received the phone, promising to be home soon. 

When Mina was handed the phone, she couldn’t help but smile. Nayeon’s eyes were red from crying and Mina couldn’t help but tear up too.

“Oh, Mina, not you too, are you mad at me? Oh my god if you’re mad at me too what am I supposed to do?” Nayeon sobbed. 

“You should be worried about MY opinion!” Jeongyeon yelled from across the room, Sana and Momo gently trying to talk her down. 

“I’m not mad at you, I’m sorry all of this is happening right now,” Mina said calmly, hoping to impart some amount of peace to the other girl. 

“Thank god, at least someone still loves me,” Nayeon sighed. Mina’s eyes went wide. How did she know? They hadn’t talked about it? Maybe it had just slipped out of Nayeon’s mouth, as so many other things did. 

Momo and Sana both ran over, grabbing the phone angrily. 

“I told you I still love you, what do you mean?!” Sana exclaimed.

“YOU are the reason we are in this situation, I can love you and still be frustrated!” Momo yelled. 

Mina giggled at the sight. Things were tense for sure, especially for Jeongyeon since her whole career hinged on this moment. Truthfully, they were probably due for something like this, but she hoped they’d be able to navigate it well with minimal damage to all parties. 

Chapter Text

“Hey.” Chaeyoung stood in the doorway, the look on her face… unsure? Unhappy? Neutral? Tzuyu couldn’t tell, but, whatever it was, it didn’t seem good.

Chaeyoung had called her and asked her to come over. Just like always, Tzuyu couldn’t say no to her. She wanted to see Chaeyoung, beneath all of the hurt. She always wanted to see Chaeyoung.

“Hey,” Tzuyu said, awkwardly shuffling her feet. “So can I come in or…”

“Oh, right, of course!” Chaeyoung jumped out of the way and Tzuyu followed her inside. She’d never really felt like a stranger in Chaeyoung’s house, but, today, she did. She looked around for any of the other girls, but it was silent.

“Everyone is somewhere with someone,” Chaeyoung said with the wave of her hand. “I could check the calendar but I think they went off script with what happened with Nayeon…” She shrugged and picked at her fingernails. “That’s not what matters right now, though.”

Tzuyu’s eyebrows shot up. What had happened with Nayeon. Normally, she would ask, but Chaeyoung was right. That wasn’t what was important at the moment.

“I’m sorry for leaving the other night.” Tzuyu cleared her throat. She’d felt bad about that, she really did. “If I could have stayed, I would have.”

“What happened, Tzu?” Chaeyoung sat down at the island in the kitchen, but Tzuyu remained standing, suddenly feeling too aware of herself and how awkward she felt.

“I… I realized I can’t do it,” Tzuyu blurted out before she could stop herself. “I love you so much, but it hurts. It hurts every time I see you with someone else. It hurts to see you look at someone else—” she didn’t say Mina “---the way you look at me.”

“Tzuyu…” The pain in Chaeyoung’s eyes was enough to gut Tzuyu. It was almost enough to get her to retract her words, but she knew she had to stand her ground. “I didn’t know you felt this strongly about it.”

“I didn’t know, either,” Tzuyu admitted. “It was just…” She took a deep breath. “You look at the other people you like the same way you look at me. It made me feel like I’m not special to you. It makes me feel replaceable, even if I know I’m not. I just think of it every time.”

Chaeyoung bit her lip and nodded. “I don’t know what to say. I do see you differently from other people I like. You’re everything to me, Tzuyu. I never meant to make you feel like you’re so replaceable.” Chaeyoung looked like she wanted to reach out and close the space between them, but she stayed seated. “What can I do to make things better?”

“The only thing that could help is the one thing you can’t do. So I don’t know, Chae.” Tzuyu’s shoulders sagged. “I wish I had an answer.”

“I’ll stop seeing other people for now,” Chaeyoung whispered. “I want to repair things with you. I love you so much, Tzu.”

Tzuyu swallowed the urge to jump on Chaeyoung’s offer. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking,” Chaeyoung said, getting up and walking around the island to Tzuyu. She stood in front of her, small but sure. “I want to. I know that, ultimately, I’m polyamorus, but you’re my primary partner. You come before anyone else, and, right now, I want to focus on you. On us. We can worry about what comes after that when we get there. So please, let me do this for us?”

Tzuyu wanted to say yes, but it felt wrong. She knew asking that of Chaeyoung was the same thing as Chaeyoung asking her to be poly in the first place.

“Tzuyu, please. Please let me try?” Chaeyoung’s eyes were wide, tears pooling up in them.

“What would that look like?” If Tzuyu had learned anything from polyamory, it was that having a plan was much better than leaving things in a vague, wishy washy sphere.

Chaeyoung was silent for a moment, fingers drumming against the counter.

“Well, first of all it looks like me stopping things with everyone else. I’d have to explain it to them, but I would tell them we’re closed off for now. Then, if you’re okay with it, we’ll spend more quality time together. I know that spending more quantity time together may be a lot to ask with your job, but we can do that, too.” Chaeyoung rushed forward, clearly having thought this out. Tzuyu realized Chaeyoung had prepared ahead of time to offer this to her. She really wanted to do this. “And then it looks like us having some honest conversations once we’ve recentered ourselves and our relationship. We can look at our goals, what we need and what we want, and see if we can make this work. So let’s give it a try?”

Chaeyoung looked out of breath, eyes a bit glassy as she waited for Tzuyu to respond. 

“Okay,” Tzuyu said around the lump in her throat. “We can try that.”

Chaeyoung threw her arms around Tzuyu and buried her face in her shoulder. “Thank you. We’re gonna fix this. I love you so much, Tzuyu.”

“I love you, too,” Tzuyu said, finally letting her own tears fall.

Chaeyoung pulled away and laughed, reaching up a finger to catch one of Tzuyu’s tears. “Look at us crying in the middle of the kitchen like two saps.”

Tzuyu gave Chaeyoung a watery smile. “Yeah, look at us.”

“Let me make us some food, okay? I don’t even know what time it is, actually. What meal are we on?”

“It’s 6:30 PM,” Tzuyu said with a real laugh. “How do you not know?”

“I’ve been… distracted. I was worried you wouldn’t come over,” Chaeyoung admitted.

“Of course I would,” Tzuyu said. “I love you too much not to. I want to be with you, Chaeyoung. It’s just the situation that makes it hard.”

“But for now, that’s taken care of. It’ll just be us for now.”

The for now stuck somewhere deep in Tzuyu’s chest, but she ignored it. Maybe for now could become forever. Maybe Chaeyoung would see she didn’t need anyone else.

“Let’s order in,” Tzuyu said, reaching over and taking Chaeyoung’s hands. “My treat.”

“I should be treating you.” Chaeyoung pouted.

“It’s on me, babe,” Tzuyu said, leaning down to kiss the pout off of Chaeyoung’s face. “So just tell me what you want.”

“Pizza,” Chaeyoung said. “And fries?”

“Sure, baby,” she said, opting not to make fun of Chaeyoung for her very predictable choice. “Let me order it right now.” Tzuyu ordered, then looped around to the fridge, frowning after opening it. “Are you out of beer?”

“Oh, I guess so,” Chaeyoung said. “Want me to go grab some?”

“Nah, I got it, baby. I’ll be back in a minute.” Tzuyu grabbed her coat off the hook in the hall and left before Chaeyoung could say anything more.

Tzuyu hurried through the streets to the convenience store a few blocks over, the cold settling in on her. She was happy Chaeyoung had offered that solution, but she didn’t like the caveat of for now. If it was just for now, wasn’t it essentially a bandaid over a wound that would never heal?

She pushed the door to the convenience store open, the bell jingling overhead. She didn’t have to look up as she made her way to the back where the alcohol was kept. She slid open a cooler and grabbed Chaeyoung’s favorite. They weren’t Tzuyu’s favorite, but she didn’t really care. She just wanted to do something nice for Chaeyoung and, with the way things were going lately, she’d drink just about anything.

In her rush to get to the counter and subsequently back to Chaeyoung, she bumped into someone coming down the aisle.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Tzuyu bowed, too embarrassed to look at them.

“Tzuyu?” A familiar voice asked.

“Dahyun?” Tzuyu looked up, eyes meeting the other girl’s. “Oh, hey, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She watched as Dahyun’s eyes drifted to the beer and then slowly back up to her face.

“Yeah, funny seeing you here, too.” Dahyun didn’t really sound like herself. She sounded a bit strained. “If you’re in the neighborhood, does that mean you’re visiting Chaeyoung?”

“Oh, yes! Her and I made up. She’s taking a step back from seeing other people for now.”

“For now?” Dahyun lingered on the words that were haunting Tzuyu.

“Maybe forever if she realizes I’m enough.”

Tzuyu realized she shouldn’t have said that the moment she watched Dahyun’s face fall.

“It’s not about you being enough,” Dahyun said. “It was never about that.”

“I shouldn’t have said that. I better get back to Chaeyoung now. It was good seeing you, Dahyun.” Tzuyu turned to leave when she felt a small hand wrap firmly around her wrist, stopping her in place.

“It’s really not about that. If you think it is…” Dahyun’s voice wavered. “If you think it is, then maybe you should end it, Tzuyu. You’re more than enough. You deserve to be with someone who makes you feel that you’re enough.”

Tzuyu was silent, unsure of what to say back. Dahyun dropped her wrist.

“Just think it over.” Something tense hung between them—Tzuyu knew it without even turning around. “And…” Dahyun’s voice trailed off. “Come to me if you need someone to talk to. I know i’m Chaeyoung’s friend, but I’m yours too. Goodnight, Tzuyu.”

When Tzuyu finally brought herself to turn around, Dahyun was gone, the bell over the door chiming as she disappeared into the night.

Tzuyu looked down at her wrist where Dahyun had touched her. Why did it feel so… alive? Tzuyu looked out the window into the darkness, beers in hand forgotten.

But I’m yours, too.

Chapter Text

Nayeon was in Momo’s hoodie, strings tight with sunglasses on so she was unrecognizable. She briefly looked around before quickly running up to the door and going inside the house. She was the last to arrive, noting Jeongyeon and Jihyo whispering with Sana at the head of the table, Mina close by. Dahyun, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, and Momo were engaged in another heated conversation and all parties quieted when they realized Nayeon was there. She quickly sat in the chair next to Mina, her presumed safest party. Her and Momo were ok too, but she knew the girl was soft for her. 

“Should we get started?” Jeongyeon said bleakly, looking at Sana who nodded. Nayeon noticed how defeated Jeongyeon looked and felt gutted. 

“Well, I’m sure you guys are all aware of the current news cycle and implications. To summarize, Nayeon and I kissed at Chaeyoung’s art show, everyone thinks she’s cheating on Momo, Jeongyeon is implicated now after our rendezvous, and now her job is on the line,” Sana said frankly. 

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…” Dahyun stuttered before casting her phone to the screen. “Looks like one of our neighbors submitted this to the tip line?”

On the screen was a grainy image of two people standing in the doorway, the article claiming it was Sana and Nayeon. 

“There’s no way, I don’t even own anything that looks like that,” Sana mumbled. 

“Also we are the same height, that’s a rather dramatic-“ Nayeon started. 

“I’m not that short!” Chaeyoung exclaimed, grabbing Dahyun’s phone and zooming in to analyze the height difference, everyone laughing in the background. It was a brief moment of levity before everyone quieted down. 

Jeongyeon stood up. “Guys, I can’t lose this job. I don’t know what we are going to do but I can’t come out. And I know everyone is mixed on that, but I really can’t and I’m sorry.”

The group nodded, most people familiar with Jeongyeon’s predicament. Nayeon’s stomach sank as she thought about the turmoil she had brought to Jeongyeon’s life. 

Before Nayeon could apologize, Sana spoke up. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior. It was careless, and I’m really sorry.” 

“It takes two, and I’m sorry, too,” Nayeon added quickly. Jeongyeon nodded in understanding, still distraught. 

“What are we going to do? What are our options?” Jihyo asked, hands covering Jeongyeon’s in an attempt to comfort the other girl. 

“My agency wants me to deny everything. They said I either have to be a home wrecker or claim that Sana came onto me, and both of those options feel bad,” Nayeon sighed. It made her sick how badly the company wanted her to cover up the situation, her truth. 

“Uh yeah because obviously you came onto me,” Sana replied with a smirk. 

“Can you blame me?” Nayeon flirted back before recentering. “Either way though, I don’t want to do that.”

Tzuyu spoke up. “Would it really be so bad to come out as polyamorous?”

“It’s complicated, it’s kind of a new thing so people aren’t really open to it. Yet, at least. I imagine it’ll get popular at some point,” Momo chimed in. 

“Didn’t the Mormons do it or something?” Dahyun asked. 

“Well they got married to like several children so they made that illegal for many reasons,” Nayeon replied with a sigh. “Either way it’s a little complicated since it’s misunderstood. Everyone just thinks we are players.”

“You guys kind of are though…” Mina trailed off. 

“Maybe we can gaslight everyone into believing it was Momo the whole time?” Chaeyoung suggested, everyone looking confused. “We just tell them it was Momo that you kissed, it was never Sana.”

Nayeon wasn’t always sure how Chaeyoung’s mind worked and in this moment she was doubly unsure but she appreciated the help. 

“Unfortunately there’s more angles of that kiss than a drama,” Jeongyeon sighed. 

“Should we just push more pr of our main couples? Sana and Mina, you’re allowed to do whatever, but Jihyo and Jeongyeon and then me and Momo? Chaeyoung and Tzuyu maybe you guys too since you’ve also been caught?” Nayeon recommended, looking around the room to gauge everyone’s reactions. She didn’t miss the way Dahyun shifted uncomfortably in her chair at the last couple mentioned. Everyone else seemed to find this agreeable. 

“So we lay low? Ignore what happened and just hope everyone forgets?” Sana asked, voice hesitant. Everyone looked over at Jeongyeon, who finally seemed settled. 

“I just don’t know what other options I have,” she mumbled. 

“It’s settled, let’s do it,” Nayeon said. 

-

It was in fact, not settled. Nayeon sat at her desk, staring at the tiny glowing screen. She took a deep breath, finger hovering over the “Live” button. 

The past couple days had been harrowing and she had no one to blame but herself. By nature of being in relationship with everyone, they all needed to be aware of how they acted in public as everyone was in various stages with their polyamory. Nayeon should’ve known better as one of the folks in the closet. She felt so stupid for kissing Sana like that in public, but it has felt right. She regretted it for the predicament they were now in, but she also liked it. She wanted to be able to be in public with Sana and go on dates with Momo and kiss Mina. And whoever else wanted some, of course. 

While Nayeon wasn’t exactly planning on coming out, the worst outcome possible was for Jeongyeon. And since she had gotten them into this mess, she would now get them out of it. Her finger hit the button. 

“Hey everyone, it’s me, Nayeon.” She watched as the view count rose, eager questions flooding in. She obviously hadn’t engineered this intentionally, but the way all of their social media platforms had risen over the last little bit was unprecedented. Her followers had increased by about 10k and her social media team, though upset, was also impressed. They would probably not be happy about what she was currently doing though. 

“I came on here to speak my truth and to clear the rumors floating around my friends and I. My pr team doesn’t know I’m doing this, so this is 100% real. And if you’re my pr team, I’m sorry but my phone is on do not disturb, love you Chelsea!”

Nayeon took a deep breath. It hadn’t been a big deal to come out as a lesbian on her social media, in fact the agency was ecstatic to have “diversity” in their midst since they had deemed it trendy. This, however. This felt like when she initially came out to her parents as a teenager. She talked on her live about the experience, how her parents had been disgusted and upset, threatening to kick her out. She remembered the shame she felt and how she had sworn never again. Her parents had since come around, but she never forgot how she felt. She then recounted how her friends had been there, how Momo had been there, how much love she had found within herself and her community.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without the people I love. Everything I am is because someone loved me, and so it is with open heart that I share with you all today that I am polyamorous.”

Nayeon watched the comments roll in, a combination of confusion and congratulations. 

nayeonsbbgurl00: so proud of you girl, love is love!

chefmomostan: polyamory doesn’t excuse cheating

x_nay_x_nay: can someone tell me what polyamory is

minatozakisana: love you 

Seeing Sana’s comment come through, she smiled to herself. “I’ll answer some questions let’s see… are you and Sana dating? I’ll leave it to your imagination.” She winked at the camera. 

A flood of questions had come through but that was in fact not one of them. She just wanted to stoke the fires and turn the attention away from what she was about to cover. 

“The weather girl? That’s my best friend from college, her and her girlfriend are practically married, it’s kind of disgusting? We do hang out a lot and are very close but nothing is happening between us.” Nayeon wanted to be honest about their relationship, but she knew Jeongyeon needed this to keep her job. She would never ask Jeongyeon to close between her or her career, it simply wouldn’t be fair. She felt a sigh of relief as the comments picked up again, still poking at the speculations around her love triangle with Sana and Momo. 

If only you guys knew the truth. 

“I love Momo to pieces, she’s my world and I can’t do what I do without her. Her love is what guides me and I’m so grateful to her for her continuous support. And for the great food. She is aware and has been supportive of me since the beginning.”

She fielded a couple questions around polyamory, doing a vague explanation of what it meant and what it looked like for her day to day. Not much changed, and she hoped people would recognize that. 

“Oh you guys want to know if I’m dating Mina, too? You guys overestimate my game…” Nayeon wanted to be coy but ultimately she loved attention. “Alright, you got me, Momo is my primary partner, Sana is my girlfriend, and I’m currently seeing Mina, too.”

minaxsana4eva: this is the kind of greed they warn about in the bible 

namolovesbb: what does this all mean

babyblueyeon: god when will it be my turn to be swimming in a sea of models

She couldn’t help but laugh at some of the comments coming in. “It is hard to keep track of everyone’s schedules since they travel a lot, but they’re worth the effort. I love making time for my girls. Do I ever get jealous? All the time, I’m still a person at the end of the day. Would I consider a threesome? Depends who is invited!”

Nayeon said her goodbyes and closed out the live, leaning back to lay in her bed. She felt a weight lift off her chest, realizing she could finally be honest about her relationships (minus Jeongyeon). A small knock hit her bedroom door and she recognized it as Momo. 

“Come in baby,” Nayeon said. The door opened and she opened her arms for Momo to come hold her. 

“I saw, how are you feeling?” Momo asked, wrapping her arms around Nayeon as she had done so many times before. 

“I feel better now that I can be honest, and also to protect Jeongyeon.”

“That was really brave, I’m proud of you,” Momo said with a smile, planting a kiss on Nayeon’s forehead. 

Nayeon loved the safety and comfort she received from Momo, it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. 

“Also, you know, no one asked most of the questions you answered,” Momo teased. 

“Are you surprised?” Nayeon giggled. She knew exactly what she was doing, picking and choosing whatever she wanted to reply to from her mind. She figured no one would notice, but perhaps Momo knew her well enough to expect this outcome. She lay in Momo’s arms a little longer, taking in the feeling of her newfound freedom. 

Chapter Text

Dahyun stared at her computer screen, yet another order to fill awaiting her. She sighed as she set out to fill it, her mind far away from the task at hand. She was a bit distracted, looking down the hallway, looking for Tzuyu, who’d occupied her thoughts more than she expected lately.

You’re just worried about her, Dahyun told herself. She’s your friend. She’s Chaeyoung’s girlfriend.

And Dahyun knew that, regardless of what Tzuyu was telling herself, there was no way she was really poly. She was too hurt over Chaeyoung’s other relationships, or even potential relationships, for her to actually be poly. But Dahyun couldn’t tell her that—Tzuyu definitely had to realize it for herself.

“Hey, are you almost done with that?”

Dahyun jumped when Gahyun came up behind her.

“Sorry,” Gahyun said. “It’s just an urgent fill.”

“Right, of course.” Dahyun hurried to finish filling it, and, as she was about to hand it off to Gahyun, she noticed the prescribing doctor’s name.

Chou Tzuyu

Dahyun couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. Tzuyu was at the hospital today. She seemed to be working there more often than usual, Dahyun realized. Not that Dahyun would complain—she loved her lunches with Tzuyu.

Dahyun was a bit more focused for the rest of the morning since she knew Tzuyu would be down to greet her at some point. She kept glancing at the clock, begging the hands to strike 12:30 so Tzuyu would appear before her, ready for lunch.

“Are you going to lunch with that hot doctor?” Gahyun snapped Dahyun from her thoughts.

“H-hot doctor?” She stammered out.

“Yeah, that one you totally have a crush on.” Gahyun smirked at her. “Don’t even try to deny it. I see the way you keep looking down the hall for her.”

“She’s my friend…” Dahyun felt her face flushing red. “She’s just my friend.” Why did saying that make her sad?

“Suuure…” Gahyun said. “Oh, turn around, lover girl.” Gahyun snickered and ran off.

Dahyun spun around to see Tzuyu standing at the counter. She looked exhausted. Her normally perfect hair was pulled back into a somewhat messy ponytail, her blouse was wrinkled, and she was wearing glasses, which she loathed.

“Are you okay?” Dahyun asked. It clearly wasn’t the right question, though, because Tzuyu’s face fell.

“Is it that obvious?” Tzuyu muttered. “Great, my patients and coworkers must think I’m so incompetent.”

“They probably think you’re having a bad day,” Dahyun said gently. “What happened?”

“Oh, nothing really happened. Chaeyoug and I are… fine. She’s, you know, on pause with everyone else. And I… I can’t stop thinking about what you said to me in the convenience store. That I’m enough for her, and it’s not about being enough…”

“Wanna go grab some food and talk?” Dahyun could practically feel Gahyun eavesdropping.

Tzuyu nodded, and they made their way to the cafeteria. A few moments later, with some food in front of them, Tzuyu sighed, looking more forlorn than before.

“So do you understand what I was saying, then?” Dahyun asked. “About you being enough?”

“I do. And it’s what I would tell a patient, actually. I know you’re right, but… but it feels like if that’s not the issue, then we can’t actually fix the real one. And I know I would tell a patient they should end the relationship because it’s clearly hurting them. But… I love her. I can’t let her go. I don’t want to let her go.”

“Why do you talk about your feelings like you’re a psychiatrist diagnosing a patient?” Dahyun twirled a carrot in her ranch dressing.

“Because I am a psychiatrist,” Tzuyu deadpanned.

“Well of course you are.” Dahyun rolled her eyes. “But I mean you separate yourself from your feelings. Why is that?”

“I… I didn’t even realize that,” Tzuyu mumbled. “I suppose it’s easier to see it clinically.”

Dahyun nodded, taking a moment to think. “Maybe it hurts less that way?”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu agreed. “But anyway. Nothing has changed between us. We’re just focusing on us right now. There’s no… timeline for when that might change. I keep thinking about it, about the future and if Chaeyoung will want to see other people again…” Tzuyu shook her head. “But she said not to think about that for now. We’re reconnecting with each other, going on more dates, talking on the phone every day, seeing each other as much as our schedules allow…” Tzuyu paused, as if she was unsure if she should keep going. “But I keep thinking about after we’ve healed things between us. After when she wants…” Tzuyu pursed her lips. “When she wants other people again.”

Dahyun wanted to speak up, but she didn’t want to stop Tzuyu from sharing. It was rare for her to open up this much. She just nodded along, trying to be encouraging.

“But maybe she won’t,” Tzuyu continued. “Maybe she’ll see that for us to work, it has to be just me and her. Maybe she’ll pick me.” Tzuyu perked up a bit at those words. “That’s entirely possible, that it’ll be just me and her. I need to remember that and not worry about the future so much.” She smiled at Dahyun.

Dahyun bit her lip. She wanted to tell Tzuyu she shouldn’t stay in a relationship that was hurting her, but now she was questioning her own motives in telling Tzuyu that. She stayed quiet, hoping she wouldn’t regret it later.

“Sorry for talking about myself so much. What’s going on with you?” Tzuyu asked. “How are things with Sana?”

Sana.

With everything going on, Dahyun hadn’t seen much of Sana. Sana did leave cute sticky notes on her apples and bananas since she knew Dahyun would see them in the morning, but they hadn’t even scheduled another date yet. Dahyun was struck with a weird bit of longing for the other girl.

“Things have been so hectic that we haven’t done anything yet,” Dahyun said. “I don’t want to bother her.”

“I don’t think you’d be bothering her. She wants this, too, right?” She raised an eyebrow at Dahyun.

“Okay, Dr. Tzuyu. I hear you!” She swatted at her friend.

Tzuyu shrugged, but there was a smile tugging at her lips. “Text her. Text her right now, actually. Doctor’s orders.”

Dahyun liked that Tzuyu was smiling. She wanted to keep her smiling, so she pulled out her phone and opened up her conversation with Sana.

“What do I even say?” Dahyun stared at the screen, mostly filled with stickers they’d sent back and forth a few days ago.

“Just tell her what you’re thinking. It has to be from the heart.”

Dahyun nodded and began typing. She hit send, then showed it to Tzuyu.

Dahyun: I’ve been thinking of you lately and really hope we can see each other soon ☁️

“What’s with the cloud?” Tzuyu asked with a snort.

“Hey! That’s my emoji! A heart feels too serious right now, but a cloud feels soft and kind of romantic.” 

“Let’s hope that comes across to her…” Tzuyu said.

A text buzzed back almost immediately.

Sana: I miss you, too, and would love to see you
Sana: Here’s my schedule, so just pick a day you’re free 💋
Sana: attachment  

“That’s how you flirt!” Tzuyu exclaimed, pointing at the kiss. “Not the weird cloud stuff.”

“Don’t make fun of my cloud!” Dahyun whined.

“But good job,” Tzuyu said, the smile returning to her lips. “Now pick a date!”

Dahyun laughed, relieved to see Tzuyu happy again because she realized that was what she ultimately wanted.

You want Sana.

And she did. But she also…

She shook her head. Those were thoughts and feelings for another day. Maybe a day that would never come. And it would be best if it never came. 

So why was she hoping it did?

She glanced down at her phone, her conversation with Sana still there. Could she want two people at once? One of whom was firmly off limits? She wasn’t sure it was possible for her, but she had a feeling her heart was going to force her to find out.

Chapter Text

Sana being out of town meant that Mina was home on the couch, staring at her phone. The news of Nayeon’s polyamory was still everywhere, and she couldn’t help but giggle at the various images the news outlets had chosen to showcase the various relationships and highlight timelines. Currently, she was looking at one extremely blurry photo of Sana and Nayeon on one of their club nights. The comments were even funnier, fans noting their outfits, submitting their own theories on timelines for escapades. 

misamoyeon: wait Sana was in Milan that week and Mina was in Tokyo and Nayeon was in Paris and Momo was in Taiwan how did they see each other? how do they even have time for other people??

namonamonamo27: I hope Momo is ok with this #saveourqueen

Xx_mina_x3: lowkey I get it, look at all of them

sanasbbgurl: being polyamorous means never having to make a decision

ilovenayeon: you’d think with the collective value of each of their brand deals they’d have so many clothes, but we’ve seen them in so many of the same outfits, I can’t believe we missed it this whole time 

Mina continued to scroll and scowled as she saw a photo of her with Nayeon at the aquarium. Who even captured this? It was from far away, Mina staring at the jellyfish while Nayeon looked at her. She took her fingers and zoomed in on Nayeon’s face. Was she? Blushing? A flutter hit Mina’s stomach as she thought about the implications. In spite of how chaotic Nayeon could be, her affection for Mina was blatantly clear and she couldn’t help but reciprocate. She somehow felt calmer when Nayeon was around, and at the same time felt like she could be herself and have fun. She liked who she got to be around Nayeon. 

Her head turned as she heard the front door open and Momo entered with a box, quickly taking off her shoes. Things had been fine between them, sending the occasional text and sometimes hanging out together in the public areas of the home. She appreciated that Momo was willing to take it slow, and she liked how it was feeling so far. 

“Oh, hey Mina! How’s it going?” Momo asked with a smile, padding over to where Mina was on the couch. The smell of pastries drifted into her nostrils, her stomach growling slightly. “I picked up your favorite, tiramisu.”

“Thanks, Momo.” Mina was always surprised by Momo’s attention to detail. She was never super loud about her affections like Sana and Nayeon were, but Mina always knew the girl cared. She watched as Momo carefully opened the box and pulled out the cake for Mina, placing it in front of her before rushing to the kitchen to grab them cutlery. 

“It’s from a new bakery I found a couple blocks from my restaurant. I made friends with the owner and their process is crazy. This family recipe is from Italy in the 80’s and I’ve never experienced flavors like this from a tiramisu. I hope you like it!” Momo rambled often about food, it was her passion, and everyone in the house had a fondness for it. The way Momo’s eyes would light up, the way she would carefully create the best bite and spoon it to whoever she was speaking with. Mina smiled as she received one of these bites. 

Her eyes widened as she let the flavors cover her tongue, the sweetness of the cream balanced by the bitterness of the coffee and the cocoa. She truly hadn’t had anything like this before, and felt honored to share this experience with Momo. “Wow, this is... really good.”

They chatted for a bit, Momo updating Mina on the restaurant and general life happenings. Mina nodded, replying with work updates and enjoying the conversation with Momo. It was easy between them, it always had been. Her ears turned pink when Momo’s hand grazed hers, picking up her fork and plate. 

Momo smirked, noticing what had happened. Mina felt shy in ways she couldn’t explain. It’s not like people didn’t know that she liked Momo, but she felt a little embarrassed by how easy it was for her to blush in situations like this. Surely this wasn’t the same body that made Sana wait months to kiss her, never showing an ounce of emotion? Sana had changed her a lot, in ways she felt positive. She was much more in tune with her emotions, but at what cost? Her dignity? She shook her head, realizing it was a silly question. She liked who she was now, even if it meant a little more discomfort. 

-

Mina hadn’t been out on a date with Nayeon in awhile, and this was their first time out with the public eye still on them. She suggested keeping it lowkey, but she knew Nayeon well enough at this point to know that it would not be so. She anxiously waited in the kitchen, cap on her head and mask in her pocket just in case. 

Dahyun walked in, eyes furrowed as she opened the fridge and pushed things around, mumbling to herself. Mina thought Dahyun had seen her, but when the girl turned around and jumped, Mina knew she in fact had not. The milk spilled on the floor and Mina immediately went to grab the rags from the cupboard to help Dahyun. 

“Sorry to scare you like that,” Mina said quickly, laying the rags on the floor. 

“It’s ok, my mind is just... elsewhere,” Dahyun replied with a deep sigh. Mina noticed the bags under Dahyun’s eyes and wondered if she had time to ask what was going on. Nayeon was always late so she was probably fine. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mina asked. Dahyun paused as she lifted the wet rags from the floor to the sink, milk dripping over new parts of the floor. 

Dahyun dropped the rags in the sink before slowly turning around, a quiet pain evident in her eyes. “Do you think it’s really possible to love two people at once?” 

Mina scanned Dahyun’s face, noticing a slight amount of strain and fear. She knew Dahyun was going out with Sana, but who was the other girl? When Mina had first started dating Sana, she had really been unsure about the possibility of loving two people at once. It felt daunting and she wasn’t sure that she could actually handle that. The logistics alone were enough to make her head spin. 

Before she could get her thoughts straight, there was a knock on the door. Of course, of all days to be on time, Nayeon chose this one. Mina looked up at Dahyun and smiled. “I have a date to get to but maybe we can continue this conversation later? It’s a really good question and I have thoughts for sure.” 

“I remembered I have the code so I just walked in... what the, did a cow die here or something?” Nayeon asked before jumping in to wipe up the remaining amount of milk. 

“You know cows have blood and not milk in their veins, right?” Mina giggled, Nayeon smirking and blushing. 

“Thanks for helping guys, sorry it was such a mess,” Dahyun said. “A gallon sure doesn’t look like a lot until it’s on the floor.”

Nayeon threw her arm around Dahyun in an attempt to comfort the other girl. “Thinking about girls, huh.”

Mina laughed as Dahyun went into a full panic, body stiffening as she tried to form a sentence refuting what Nayeon had said. She decided she would spare the girl Nayeon’s interrogation tactics. “Let’s go, Nayeon, I’m excited for dessert! Dahyun I’ll catch you later?”

Nayeon bounded over, wrapping her arms around Mina who couldn’t help but blush. Dahyun waved slowly, still reeling from Nayeon’s question. When they were out the door, Nayeon finally spoke up. “Was it about Tzuyu?”

Mina was confused. “Tzuyu? I thought she was seeing Sa- oh.” Mina hadn’t realized something was developing between Dahyun and Tzuyu but looking back now, it made sense. They seemed to have gotten a lot closer as of lately and while she had been disappointed about having to scale back with Chaeyoung, she understood. Dahyun’s question also made a lot more sense now, and she was curious what these budding dynamics would mean for the group. 

Hanging out with Nayeon was easy, they never ran out of things to talk about and the energy was vibrant. Mina loved that Nayeon remembered she loved Kuromi so they now found themselves at a Sanrio cafe. She looked at the fourteen plates in front of her, a reminder to never say “I’m not sure which one I want” to Nayeon ever again.

“Well? Which one do you want to start with?” Nayeon asked with a smile, pleased that she had purchased the entire menu. Mina decided she would start with the Cinnamoroll cream puff, which she was least excited for, and end with the Pompompurrin tiramisu. She enjoyed trying a bite of each one and hearing Nayeon’s take on it. It was clear that she listened to Momo when she talked, but maybe not well enough. 

“I like how whipped the cream is but I’m not sure the berries are tart enough to challenge the crispness of the pie crust,” Nayeon said pensively and Mina could only giggle and agree. She loved Nayeon’s particular charm, everything seemed so much more enjoyable when she was around. 

When they wrapped up dessert (leaving with several boxes of pastries for the house), Nayeon suggested going for a walk in their local park. The layout was akin to the grease in a pot of soup, many circles with connecting paths in the open space. There was lots of shrubbery and trees in the circular parts with benches around the edges. There were several people running on the paths, a group of high school girls filming tiktoks, and a couple walking slowly. Mina wondered if the hat and mask she was wearing would be enough to keep the wandering eyes away from them, but it was a mute point since Nayeon “refused to hide” and was very visible as herself. The wind felt nice and the sun was just starting to set as they found an isolated park bench to rest on. 

Mina listened to Nayeon go on about a new skin cream product she had purchased and she couldn’t help but wonder what her other relationships were like. Would there even be enough time for them? Who was she when she was with Momo? With Sana? Did they cuddle a lot? Was she buying the whole menu for everyone else, too? Mina caught herself slipping into jealousy and decided to tuck that away for later. It was still early on in their relationship and given everything going on right now, that was for the better. 

Suddenly it was almost midnight. They had lost themselves in conversation and hadn’t even noticed that the park was completely empty. They left to return the way they came only to find there was a locked gate on the path. There was a sign on the right displaying the park hours and discussing fees for trespassing. 

“You’re joking,” Nayeon mumbled, walking forward to see if there was a way to get around it. “I think we are going to have to climb it, how do you feel about that?”

Mina looked at the gate. It was maybe three feet tall and there was a garden area with a seating wall holding all the soil in. They could easily step onto that and climb around. The real question wasn’t if they could climb the gate, it was whether or not they wanted the potential optics of trespassing. 

“Do you want to? It’s the most direct path back to the car, I just worry about you,” Mina said quietly.

Nayeon threw her head back and cackled. “You are sweet but you don’t need to worry about me. Let’s do it, let me go first so I can make sure it’s safe.”

Nayeon jumped up on the garden wall and swung her legs over, easily navigating to the other side. She stayed on the wall on the other side and gestured for Mina to follow. Mina was a little nervous. She wasn’t sure she trusted the rocks on the wall and what if her clothes snagged on the gate? She hopped onto the wall and took a breath, feeling better since the wall did not collapse under her. The gate itself looked a little daunting, and she saw Nayeon extend her hand on the other side so her plan was to cross the gate and use Nayeon to balance herself until she landed on the wall. 

In theory, this plan would have worked had her foot not clipped one of the decals on the gate. One second she had her right foot planted on the wall and her left foot in the air, the next she found herself falling on top of Nayeon. It was comical, really. Nayeon’s eyes went wide as she realized Mina was falling and attempted to catch her, which meant both of them ended up in the flower bed. Mina was mortified to find herself in such close proximity, and she felt bad for sending her full body weight onto Nayeon. She found herself face to face with the other girl, their arms somehow linked, possibly from when Nayeon tried to catch her. 

“You should’ve bought me dinner first,” Nayeon laughed, a deep blush rushing across Mina’s face as she tried to detangle her limbs from Nayeon’s. 

Mina tried to move her hand when it hit a particularly sharp vine and she winced, pulling her hand away. Her body swayed and she lost her balance, and she closed her eyes to brace for impact. When she opened them, two brown orbs looked back at her. She found herself inches away from Nayeon’s face and she could smell the coffee on Nayeon’s breath. 

Somehow Nayeon had freed one of her hands and she reached up to touch Mina’s face. Mina could only assume that she was still blushing at this point, but she found her body frozen. Her heart was racing and she couldn’t help but wonder if what she wanted to happen was about to happen. 

Barely a whisper from Nayeon, who was usually so loud. “Is this ok?” Mina nodded ever so slightly, breath hitching when Nayeon reached over and pulled down her mask. Mina’s eyes moved from Nayeon’s left eye, to her right eye, to her lips. Nayeon’s lips were pink and looked soft. The air between them stilled for a moment, and Mina thought about how badly she wanted Nayeon to kiss her.

And then she did. 

Nayeon’s lips were very soft, and Mina’s mind went blank. Or rather, she tried to have a thought and simply could not. And then as quickly as it started, it was over. Mina couldn’t help but smile at Nayeon, who smiled back before kissing her on the cheek. 

“HEY! WHO GOES THERE!” A security guard yelled, flashlight panning around the park. 

“I think we need to get out of here,” Nayeon whispered, eyes playful as she gestured towards their exit. “On my count?” Mina nodded. 

“3... 2... 1 go!” Nayeon yelled. Mina leapt up, noticing the security guard was quite a ways away from them. Nayeon got up quickly and grabbed Mina’s hand, pulling her through the streets and weaving them through the few people left on the sidewalks. Mina noted the warmth of Nayeon’s hands and how soft they were. She also noticed a small cut on Nayeon’s pointer finger on her right hand. She would have to get a bandaid for that later. 

Chapter Text

“I’m excited for our date tomorrow,” Dahyun said from behind the pharmacy counter.

Tzuyu’s heart sped up. “D-date?” she stammered out.

“The noraebang date. You, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Nayeon, and me.” She grinned at Tzuyu.

“Ah, yes, your date with Nayeon.” Tzuyu felt her heart deflate a bit, but she wasn’t sure why. “Are you looking forward to it?”

Dahyun’s features shifted a bit. “Um, yeah, I think so?” She fiddled with an empty pill bottle. “I am, but I’m also nervous. But that’s normal, right?” She looked at Tzuyu like she desperately needed the validation, and who was Tzuyu to withhold that from her?

“Absolutely,” Tzuyu agreed. “As a psychiatrist, I declare it completely normal.” She swished her hand around in the air like she was casting a spell.

Dahyun laughed. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.” She glanced at the computer. “I better get back to work. Have fun on your museum date with Chaeyoung tonight.”

Tzuyu smiled at the mention of Chaeyoung’s name. “Thanks, see you tomorrow, Dahyun.”

Tzuyu went through the rest of her day thinking about two things: her date with Chaeyoung that night, and Dahyun’s little laugh. She wasn’t so sure why she was thinking of Dahyun that much, or in that way, but something about it made her feel… good. Happy. Excited. She shook her head. She needed to focus on her patients, then on Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu and Chaeyoung were going to the museum for their weekly museum night, when they kept the building open until 8PM instead of the usual 5PM. They were going to an art museum—one Chaeyoung had been to, but Tzuyu had not. Tzuyu, admittedly, hadn’t been to many museums at all before she started dating Chaeyoung.

Soon, it was time for Tzuyu to leave for the day and prepare for her date. She changed out of her hospital uniform and into black slacks with a black blouse and tan jacket. She studied herself in the mirror before refreshing her lipstick.

Hopefully Chaeyoung likes my outfit, she thought. She frowned at her reflection. Since when do I need anyone else to like my clothes aside from me?

Dahyun’s words from some time ago echoed in her head. I am enough for Chaeyoung, she reassured herself.

She was the first to arrive to the museum, sitting on a bench outside the building, scanning the horizon for her girlfriend. When she saw a small form hurrying toward her, she stood, making her way to Chaeyoung.

“Baby!” Chaeyoung exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Tzuyu. “I missed you so much.”

Tzuyu kissed the crown of Chaeyoung’s head with a chuckle. “It’s barely been that long since you saw me.”

“Yes, but I still missed you.” When she pulled away from Tzuyu, there was an adorable pout on her face.

Tzuyu pinched her cheek. “I missed you too, baby.” She held out her hand. “Let’s head in?”

Chaeyoung beamed at her. “I can’t wait to show you everything!”

Once they were in the gallery, Tzuyu watched as Chaeyoung’s eyes lit up and there was an extra bounce in her step. She darted from one exhibit to the next, excitedly pulling Tzuyu around with her. It was a bit dizzying, but Tzuyu didn’t care. She was just happy to be with Chaeyoung, and, more importantly, happy to see her girlfriend so happy.

“Oh! This is one of my favorites!” Chaeyoung pointed to a painting of a mother and daughter dressed in traditional clothes seated on a couch, a record player open on the table next to them. “It’s called Quiet Listening, and there’s something so peaceful about it to me. Even though it was painted in the 1930s, it just has this timelessness to it. That could easily be a mother and daughter today, just sitting in the living room listening to music. Maybe now it would be through speakers, but the sentiment is the same, you know?”

“That’s really beautiful,” Tzuyu said, voice soft. “I do know what you mean. I see why you like it so much.” She glanced around the gallery, trying to see it through Chaeyoung’s eyes. “Can you show me more of your favorites?”

Chaeyoung squeezed her hand. “I’d love to!”

They spend the next two hours going from painting to painting, Chaeyoung explaining the meaning behind each of them so eloquently and in a way that made sense to Tzuyu—she never used technical terms or made her feel like she was dumb for not seeing the vision Chaeyoung saw each time she looked at a painting. The date went by so quickly that the announcement over the speakers about the museum closing in the fifteen minutes scared Tzuyu.

“I wish we had more time,” Tzuyu lamented.

“This just means we’ll have to come back.” A blush overtook Chaeyoung’s face. “Are you sure I wasn’t too much? Did you actually enjoy it?”

Tzuyu was surprised Chaeyoung could even think that. “I truly enjoyed it, Chae. I can’t wait to come again with you.” She leaned down and kissed Chaeyoung. “Thank you for an amazing evening.”

They got ramen at their favorite ramen shop, talking about the art they saw. By the time they were done eating, Tzuyu was exhausted.

“You look sleepy,” Chaeyoung said, poking Tzuyu’s cheek. “Let’s get you home.”

Tzuyu was too tired to protest. The two of them walked to the subway, and Tzuyu expected Chaeyoung to say her goodbyes there, but she lingered, awkwardly shuffling her feet.

“Do you think…” She cleared her throat. “Do you think I could sleep over tonight? I just… I just really want to hold you.”

Tzuyu was shocked by the request, but maybe, she realized, she shouldn’t have been. They hadn’t had as many sleepovers lately, and maybe that was playing a role in hurting their relationship.

Tzuyu reached out and took Chaeyoung’s hands. “I’d love that. Let’s go home.”

Tzuyu felt warm, content, complete, with Chaeyoung by her side.

***

“I’m going to score the highest!” Nayeon shouted into the microphone, effectively shattering everyone’s ear drums.

“No, I am!” Jeongyeon shouted louder.

“Both of you know Jihyo will!” Chaeyoung said much more quietly, earning a punch in the arm from Nayeon.

Tzuyu smiled, taking in her friends’ antics. Her eyes landed on Dahyun, though, who looked a little awkward and anxious in the corner, where she was seated next to Nayeon. Tzuyu could already tell that Nayeon and Dahyun weren’t a match. She wondered if Dahyun was feeling the same way.

“Alright, so which song are we doing first? We need a warm up,” Jihyo declared. She started scrolling through the suggested songs.

“Oh! Oh! Let’s do Nmixx!” Nayeon shouted, her hand high in the air like she was waiting to be called on in class.

“Can we do ‘Love Me Like This?!’” Nayeon exclaimed.

“Sure, sure,” Jihyo said, probably just trying to shut Nayeon up, Tzuyu thought with a chuckle.

The first song was mostly Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo competing with each other. It was after they were done with their impromptu competition that Jihyo explained how noraebang usually worked for them.

“So we each get to do one song and we see who has the highest score. That person gets treated to dinner. Sound good?”

Tzuyu nodded along with everyone else. To her surprise, Nayeon wasn’t jostling to go first. She was instead sitting with Dahyun, whispering with her, every now and then eliciting a laugh, gently touching her knee…

Some emotion Tzuyu didn’t really understand began to nestle in her chest.

“Baby, what song are you gonna do?” Chaeyoung’s tug on her hand brought her back to her senses.

“Maybe ‘Eleven’ by Ive?” Tzuyu shrugged. She didn’t really care about the competition. She just liked to sing that song.

“Cool, I think I’ll do ‘Noir’ by Sunmi.”

“Alright, alright everybody! Are you ready for your winner to sing?” Jeongyeon shouted into her microphone.

“But it’s not my turn yet, Jeong!” Nayeon said, sticking her tongue out at her.

Jeongyeon just rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky Dahyun is here because I wouldn’t be as nice to you if she weren’t. We can’t traumatize her this early on.”

Jeongyeon selected “Golden,” which Tzuyu thought was an ambitious choice, but once Jeongyeon started singing, Tzuyu realized just how powerful her vocals were. When she hit the high note, everyone cheered. And when her score came back at 97.9%, everyone cheered again except for Nayeon, who booed loudly.

“Alright Miss Big Talk, would you like to go next?” Jeongyeon dangled the mic in front of Nayeon, who snatched it from her right away.

“I need to impress my girl,” Nayeon said, winking at Dahyun. She selected “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan.

“You pick a sad breakup song to impress a girl on your first date?” Jeongyeon raised ger eyebrows. “Weird choice, Im.”

“I need to win this competition and I know I can slay this song!” She hit play and began.

Tzuyu thought Nayeon did a fine job. She hit all the notes, had the emotion… but when it came time for her score, she was surprised to see she’d gotten a 94.6% Nayeon groaned, dropping on her knees to the floor, while Jeongyeon jumped up and down hollering “In your face, Im!”  

“You wouldn’t know they’re so madly in love, would you?” Jihyo said to Tzuyu.

Tzuyu chuckled. “Maybe it’s because they’re so in love that they can be like this with each other.”

“Very thoughtful,” Jihyo said with a nod. “Do you want to go next?”

Tzuyu nodded, pulling up “Eleven.” She knew she wouldn’t win, but she did have fun singing it. She was happy to score a 92.3%. Chaeyoung went after her, scoring a 93.6%, and then it was Dahyun’s turn. She was silent as she selected her song, going with “23” by IU. Tzuyu quickly realized Dahyun wasn’t really comfortable singing in front of everyone from the way she seemed to be folding in on herself. She wanted to tell Dahyun it was okay, that she didn’t have to do this, but then the music started and Dahyun sang.

Dahyun didn’t make eye contact with any of them as she sang. She looked down at her feet the whole time despite Nayeon trying multiple times to make eye contact with her and the other girls cheering her on.

When the song ended, Dahyun quickly handed the microphone to Jihyo, slipping back into her seat.

“95.3%!” Jihyo shouted. “You beat Nayeon, Dahyun!”

Dahyun looked shocked, and so did Nayeon.

“If there’s anyone who’s allowed to beat me today, it’s Dahyun,” Nayeon finally said. “You sounded really lovely,” she conceded. “But next time, I’m winning,” she added with a wink.

Last up was Jihyo, who sang “Air” by Yeji. When the score came back, she was off from Jeongyeon by just .2%.

“Looks like I’m getting dinner tonight!” Jeongyeon hollered, pumping her fists in the air.

“Let’s go another round?” Nayeon begged. “The winner can also get free dinner!”

“Fine,” Jihyo said. “But I need snacks first.”

“I’ll get some!” Dahyun quickly volunteered.

“I’ll help.” The words were out of Tzuyu’s mouth before she knew what she was saying. She just really wanted to check in on Dahyun, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

“Th-thanks,” Dahyun stuttered, hurrying out of the room.

Tzuyu followed the other girl, running to catch up with her. “Are you doing okay?”

Dahyun stopped quickly and Tzuyu almost bumped into her.

“Yes, well, not really. I don’t know,” Dahyun said with a sigh. “I don’t I

“Loud? Boisterous? Crazy?” Tzuyu deadpanned.

“I didn’t say it!” Dahyun put her hands up.

“I sure did!” Tzuyu said with a little giggle. “But it’s okay if it’s not a match. This was just a first date, and first dates let you know a lot of things, including if there shouldn’t be a second date.”

Dahyun nodded. They made their way downstairs to the snack closet. They had unlimited snacks for the two hours they’d booked the room.

Tzuyu entered the closet first, fumbling around for a light. She found a string and pulled it, a small light bulb illuminating the space. Dahyun followed her in.

“Hey, there’s a sign that says Do not let door close—” The door slammed shut behind them. They glanced at each other and Tzuyu finished reading the sign. “Because it will lock behind you.”

“Oh…” Dahyun whispered.

“One of the others will come for us eventually,” Tzuyu said with a shrug.

The closet wasn’t big—there were barely three feet between the two of them. Dahyun looked up at Tzuyu then quickly averted her eyes, her face flushed red.

“I-it’s hot in here,” Dahyun said, fanning herself.

“Really?” If anything, Tzuyu felt chilly. “Are you okay? Are you running a fever?” Tzuyu placed her hand on Dahyun’s forehead out of instinct, wanting to check on her friend, but as soon as she did, something electric shot through her. Based on the way Dahyun’s eyes widened, she felt it too.

“I think I’m okay,” Dahyun said softly, but her voice sounded so loud to Tzuyu.

“Ye-yeah, you are. I’m a doctor so I would know.”

Dahyun chuckled. “Um, your hand—”

“Right!” Tzuyu pulled her hand off of Dahyun’s forehead as if she’d been burned. She jumped back, knocking into the snack cabinet. Snacks tumbled to the ground.

“Let me—” Dahyun bent over at the same time as Tzuyu, their hands meeting as they went to grab the same snack.

Dahyun let her hand linger just a beat longer than Tzuyu expected before she pulled away and picked up a different snack.

“Are you sure you’re not hot, too?” Dahyun said.

“Now I am,” Tzuyu said, far too aware of the way her heart was racing. Her eyes met Dahyun’s, and she watched as a small smile formed on Dahyun’s face. She looked happy for the first time that afternoon.

“Tzuyu, I—”

“HEY!” There was a pounding on the door. “What are you guys even doing in there? Seven minutes in heaven? On OUR date?!” Nayeon shouted from the other side.

Dahyun’s face turned bright red and Tzuyu laughed.

“We’re locked in!” Tzuyu shouted back.

“Oh, really? Shit… hold on!” Nayeon raced off.

“She really can’t be abandoning us right now, can she?” Dahyun asked nervously.

“Nah, you’re her date. Even though you beat her in noraebang, she won’t just let you rot in a closet. Sana for one would kill her.” Tzuyu’s thoughts soured at the idea of the other girl who liked Dahyun. Was it because she also—

A man swung the door open, the light from the hallway nearly blinding Tzuyu.

“Get your snacks and head on out,” he mumbled.

Nayeon was all over Dahyun as soon as she emerged from the closet.

“My Dahyunnie! Are you okay?” She grabbed Dahyun’s hand and pulled her in for a hug.

Tzuyu raised an eyebrow. Since when were they close enough for Nayeon to call Dahyun that way?

“I’m fine, thank you,” Dahyun said with a little chuckle. “Despite being in a snack closet, I am starving. Let’s go back to the room and eat?”

“Yes, let’s go!” Nayeon was still holding Dahyun’s hand as they made their way back to the room.

As Tzuyu watched, she realized what she was feeling. It was the same feeling she got when she was Chaeyoung flirt with or even talk to other girls. It was the feeling that was threatening to ruin her relationship with Chaeyoung. It was a feeling she wasn’t used to having for anyone who wasn’t Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu was feeling jealous. 

Chapter Text

Every meeting Nayeon had been in lately was just another room of execs railing on her for what she had done. She opened up her laptop to cast her PowerPoint, showing that yet again, her numbers were up. She had increased followers, engagements, and brand deals. And while she loved these metrics, the main reason she sat here was to make sure Jeongyeon and Jihyo were kept out of the spotlight. She knew what Jeongyeon’s career meant to her, and she would do everything she could to protect her girlfriend. 

“I’m telling you guys, just let me explain. The easiest situation here is to just pin it all on me. Everyone has inklings about me and Sana, let’s confirm it. She is ok with that. We can say that I was greedy and talked Momo into it, we know the truth, she is ok with it. That will save her image and then leave everyone else out of it?” Nayeon was heated. She was so tired of having these conversations and having to defend herself but she knew they had to happen. 

“What about Mina?” Her manager asked wearily.

“We can confirm Mina too, is that what you want? Is that what will make this all go away?” Nayeon yelled angrily. It wasn’t like her to yell, but she was so tired of these meetings. Nothing she did was good enough. 

“We lost the ability to make this all go away when you slipped up and then doubled down in your unsanctioned live. You think this is just about you? It’s about all of us! It’s our jobs and our reputations at stake too!” Her pr rep slammed her hand on the table, tears in her eyes as she yelled. 

Nayeon sat there quiet. She had been worried so long about herself and her relationships that she had neglected to consider the people who worked for her. The people who had worked tirelessly to fight the trolls in her comments, who had spent time redoing her wardrobe so it wouldn’t overlap with her girls, who had stayed up late helping Momo with her events. She owed them a lot, not just for doing their jobs but for going above and beyond in her life. She stopped and looked around the room, finally noticing the bags under everyone’s eyes and just how worn they looked. Her heart sank. 

“I… you’re right, I’m sorry I’ve been so selfish. I’m sorry I brought you all into this and haven’t considered the consequences for you guys and I’m even more sorry that I have no solutions.” Nayeon paused as she looked around the room, making sure to acknowledge every person there. “What do you think we should do?”

Nayeon listened to each person in the room, thoughtfully considering each of their perspectives while weighing them against others and her own concerns. After several hours of back and forth, she finally felt like they’d come to a resolution that worked for all of them. She thanked everyone for their time and sat back contemplating their next steps. It felt like it should work well, so she finally felt her shoulders relax. 

-

As part of their updated pr campaign, her agent felt it necessary to have paparazzi photograph several couples in different places. Last week has been focused on her and Momo, smooching in the Ferris wheel, holding hands in the park, the works. This week was her and Sana, and one of the interns had the brilliant idea of having Momo with Mina to show that Momo was ok with it too. 

Her and Sana stood off to the side and watched as Mina tried to show Momo how to ride a bike. Mina looked elegant as ever, so much so that the paparazzi had to tell her to flip some hair in her face to look a little less elegant. It somehow made it worse. 

Sana looked over at Nayeon and smirked. “Watch this.” She turned to where Mina was and yelled, “Minariiii how does it feel to be so hot that they have to tell you to try and be less attractive??” 

Mina instantly flushed red, foot slipping off the pedal as she quickly worked to regain her balance. The paparazzi snapped several pictures and gave Sana a thumbs up.

Nayeon loved how Sana was able to do that with just about anyone, but also how quickly she was able to do that with Mina. She wondered how long it would take her to get there with Mina. She wondered if she could do that with Momo. Something small twisted in her stomach. 

It was now Momo’s turn on the bike and Nayeon was intent on getting her flustered. She yelled, “What are you, a baby deer? Quit wobbling!” 

Momo looked over and glared, Mina and Sana both giggling from their respective places. 

“That was something,” Sana said while Nayeon scowled. Why didn’t it work? Stuff like that usually worked? Right? 

Momo was still wobbling pretty aggressively on the bike, and with that Mina decided to jump in and help stabilize. Everyone watched as Mina leaned over to grab the handlebar and help, their fingers touching for a moment until Momo realized what had happened. She immediately blushed and moved her hand, leading to her falling off the bike. At that, Nayeon and Sana mobilized to her side, checking in on the girl. 

“Are you hurt? Are you ok?” Sana asked. 

“Let me get this bike off of you,” Mina said quickly, working to make sure her limbs weren’t cut. 

“Baby girl you are so clumsy, are you alright?” Nayeon asked with a frown. 

Momo winced as the bike was pulled off her, but she was still trying to play it cool. Nayeon knew she would hear about how much it hurt when they got home. One of the producers brought over some alcohol and gauze, insisting that each of them take turns cleaning the wounds. Mina was delicate and soft on her hands, however ineffective because there was definitely still dirt when she was done. Nayeon noted the way Momo looked at her softly and tried to affirm that she had done a good job. Sana was the most effective as she worked on Momo’s elbow, and while Nayeon had always been aware of their connection, something about it stung just as much as Momo’s wound did, probably. 

When it was Nayeon’s turn, she poured extra alcohol on Momo’s knee, trying to make sure the wound was EXTRA clean. She noticed the pain in Momo’s face as she dabbed at it, the producer in the back nervously trying to tell her to ease up. It was a rather deep cut and Nayeon was worried it would get infected. She also made a point to go back and work on Momo’s hands, even though Momo was grunting in pain through gritted teeth. 

“I think that’s enough, Nayeon,” Sana said sternly. Nayeon looked over to see Sana with her arms crossed and a nervous Mina. Momo was sitting there, finally able to relax after the girl’s brief foray into medicine. There was a good chance she hoped this would never happen again. 

Nayeon set down the used gauze into a trash bag and took a step back. She probably shouldn’t have done that but at the same time, she almost felt a compulsion to. Something stirred in her chest and constricted her throat, jaw tightening. Why did she feel this way seeing Momo with Sana and Mina? Why did she feel like she somehow couldn’t measure up to the way they cared for Momo?

What was this?

Chapter Text

Dahyun: I’m in the lobby—got off work a bit early 

Dahyun stared down at her phone, waiting for three little dots to appear. She was meeting Tzuyu for dinner after work because she needed to talk. She needed to talk to Tzuyu about her date with Nayeon, and Tzuyu was currently the person she trusted the most, the person who she felt just understood her in a way others didn’t, or maybe couldn’t. They hadn’t been able to meet for their usual lunch today because Tzuyu had meetings when she didn’t have patients to see, so they’d agreed to dinner. She was grateful when Tzuyu agreed to meet her now, even though she hadn’t told the other girl what they were meeting about.

Tzuyu: omw
Tzuyu: last session ran over
Tzuyu: ugh

Dahyun laughed. She knew Tzuyu actually loved her job and helping patients, so it was hilarious to her when her friend acted this way.

Dahyun: No rush!!

Dahyun pocketed her phone and looked around the lobby, which was mostly people bustling in and out, on their way to or from visits with patients. Some people might find working in a hospital to be sad, but Dahyun actually liked it. She felt like she could really help people here, and the fast pace made the day go by quickly.

“I’m here!” Tzuyu raced up to Dahyun, slightly out of breath.

“I said no rush,” Dahyun said with a little chuckle. “Why’d you rush?”

“It’s rude to keep people waiting.” Dahyun found Tzuyu’s direct nature to be charming. She liked that with Tzuyu, what you see is what you get.

“Well, I’m unbothered, for the record.” Dahyun gestured toward the automatic doors and they headed out into the darkening night.

“So, where are we going tonight?” Tzuyu asked.

Dahyun struggled to keep up with Tzuyu’s long strides. “The Japanese place? I’m just really craving udon tonight.”

“Mmm, I could go for some udon.” Tzuyu suddenly looped her arm through Dahyun’s. “To help me stay at your pace. I don’t want to make you run.”

“Oh, um, yes, good idea.” Dahyun tried to hide how flustered the gesture made her. Based on Tzuyu’s non-reaction, it seemed like the other girl hadn’t noticed.

They arrived at the restaurant and were shown to a table right away. After placing their orders, Tzuyu turned her full attention to Dahyun. Dahyun found Tzuyu’s discerning stare to be… well, a lot, considering she found the other girl’s eyes so pretty and it was both an honor and a bit scary to have her focused solely on Dahyun.

“So, what’s going on?” Tzuyu asked.

“My date with Nayeon…” And us getting locked in the closet. “I’m… I’m not sure how it went.”

Tzuyu cocked her head. “Well, only you can decide how it went.”

“Then it didn’t go well,” Dahyun admitted. “It was awkward, and I don’t think there was a spark.” Dahyun wasn’t entirely sure what a spark was supposed to feel like, but she knew it was absent between her and the older girl.

“That’s what first dates are for,” Tzuyu reassured her. “Nayeon’s not going to be offended. For all you know, she feels the same way.”

Dahyun nodded, her worries assuaged a bit, but not as much as she was hoping. “How do I tell her?” This was maybe the crux of what was really bothering her.

Tzuyu shrugged. “I don’t think it has to be anything big. The whole thing has been super casual, right? So you could just take her aside next time you see her and tell her you had a good time, but you’re getting a friend vibe, not a romantic vibe.”

Now that Tzuyu had said it, it all made sense to Dahyun. It didn’t have to be a big deal. Nayeon was really chill and informal, so Dahyun could be… as informal as her rather formal nature allowed.

“Your patients are lucky to have you. You give really good advice.” Dahyun took a sip of her water.

“I wouldn’t say vibe to a patient,” Tzuyu deadpanned. “This is all coming from friend-Tzuyu and not Dr. Chou.”

“Well, I’m lucky to have friend-Tzuyu.” Even as she said it, a pang shot through her. She was lucky. But at the same time… She looked at Tzuyu said, taking in her sparkling brown eyes, her bare yet beautiful face, the slight smile tugging at her lips… she wanted more. She wanted more with Chaeyoung’s girlfriend. That could not happen.

“Aw,” Tzuyu said. “I’m lucky to have you as a friend.” A sour look crossed her face. “Why are we being mushy at 6PM in a random Japanese restaurant?”

“Where else would you rather be mushy?” Dahyun bantered back. “I think this is the perfect venue.”

Their food came and, for a few minutes, they were occupied by simply eating. Dahyun had a feeling Tzuyu had missed her lunch break.Even though she’d had her lunch, Dahyun was starving. Maybe unrequited feelings did that to a girl.

“So, what’s on your docket this week?” Tzuyu asked about halfway through their meals.

“I have a date with Sana, actually. We’re going to a roller skating rink.”

“Cute,” Tzuyu said, picking up a piece of sushi. “So you like her?” There was something off in Tzuyu’s voice, but Dahyun wasn’t quite sure what it was.

“Yeah, I like Sana. But…”

“But?” Tzuyu prompted.

“She’s really busy. We can barely schedule dates, so I’m not sure how we’d have a relationship.”

That was part of the problem, but it wasn’t all of it, and Dahyun was well aware of that. Dahyun knew the real issue was because she liked someone more than she liked Sana. And that person clearly wasn’t polyamorus.

“Ah, that’s true.” Tzuyu didn’t seem fully satisfied by Dahyun’s answer.

The rest of their dinner was uneventful—just chatting about work, Tzuyu’s upcoming date with Chaeyoung, and Nayeon’s current predicament. Dahyun saw Tzuyu home, much to the other girl’s protests.

“Well, this is me,” Tzuyu said when they arrived at her apartment. “You really didn’t have to bring me all the way here.”

There was something about Tzuyu potentially being out alone, in the dark, that bothered Dahyun. Realistically, she knew Tzuyu would be fine. But, if she could help it, she wanted to be there for her.

“I wanted to,” Dahyun said. “I’ll see you at work?”

“See ya then.” Tzuyu waved goodbye and disappeared into her apartment building.

When Dahyun arrived home, the kitchen was empty. It seemed like she wasn’t destined to have a meeting with Sana tonight. But that was fine because tomorrow after work, she would be with her for quite a while.

Roller skating and dinner. It’s cute.

Dahyun sighed. It was cute, but… She shook her head. She liked Sana. She liked Sana. She just had to focus on Sana right now—that was all.

***

“You’re so good at this!” Sana exclaimed. “Almost too good,” she added with a pout. “I picked this date because I thought you’d be bad at it so you’d have to hold my hand.”

Dahyun nearly tripped over her rollerblades when Sana said this.

“I-I had no idea that’s why you picked it,” Dahyun stammered out.

“I always have my motives.” Sana winked at her, and Dahyun nearly tripped again.

The date, Dahyun thought, was going very well. She hadn’t fallen flat on her face yet in front of Sana, though the other girl seemed hellbent on making that happen. Their conversation had been good and rather natural. Dahyun found it easy to be with Sana. Her cheeks hurt from smiling throughout the evening.

Suddenly, Sana grabbed Dahyun’s hand, nearly toppling them both over.

“Just felt like I was losing my balance,” Sana said.

Dahyun noticed Sana did not let go of her hand even once she’d righted herself.

“And maybe I just wanted to hold your hand…” Sana said with a giggle.

Dahyun wanted to banter back, but she was too focused on Sana’s hand gripping hers. She hoped her hand wasn’t too sweaty. The last thing she wanted to do was gross out Sana.

“You’re so cute when you’re nervous,” Sana said with another giggle. “Do I make you nervous, Dahyunnie?” Sana took Dahyun’s other hand and spun them in a slow circle.

“N-no,” Dahyun mumbled.

“It’s cute,” Sana said again. “Are you ready for dinner?”

Dinner. Maybe some food would help her get a hold of herself and stop her from looking like a fool in front of Sana.

“Yeah, that sounds good!”

“I made us a reservation at a Thai place. I hope you like Thai?”

“I could go for some Thai food.” Dahyun tugged Sana toward the exit.

They returned their skates and headed out. Sana interlinked their hands as soon as they were outside, swinging Dahyun’s hand back and forth like this was no big deal. Maybe to Sana it wasn’t, but Dahyun still wasn’t used to holding hands in public. It felt… nice.

They were seated at the restaurant—a dimly lit somewhat romantic spot—and placed their orders right away. The rollerblading had made Dahyun hungry, and it seemed like Sana was, too.

“So, are you dating anyone else?” Sana asked it like it was no big deal, but Dahyun nearly spit out her drink.

“I went on a date with Nayeon,” she said once she composed herself. “But I don’t think it’s a match.”

“Hmm, yeah, you and Nayeon… I don’t see it,” Sana agreed. “But it’s good you went! I just wanted to see how you’re doing. I know it can be overwhelming at first.”

“Well… Are you sure you’re okay talking about this on our date?” It felt weird to talk about other people on their date.

“If it’s bothering you, I want to hear about it. I help Mina all the time. So trust me, it’s fine by me.” Sana’s sincere smile settled Dahyun’s nerves a bit.

“I like… someone else, but I don’t think she’s poly.”

“Anyone can be converted,” Sana said with a wink.

“She tried, but I fear the conversation didn’t work on her,” Dahyun quipped back, earning a laugh from Sana.

“Well, I guess it depends on how you feel about her and about polyamory. If your connection with her is strong, you might want to consider asking her out. You can just date casually and decide what you want to do from there.” Sana took a sip of her drink. “You don’t need to rush into anything. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from all this.”

Dahyun nodded. “The other thing is she’s already dating someone, and that someone is my friend, and their relationship is rocky. I don’t want to tip it one way or the other with my own selfish motives.” Dahyun sighed. It felt better to get it all out.

“You’re like the least selfish person I know alongside Mina,” Sana said. “It sounds complicated.” She thought for a moment. “I think you should be honest with her. Tell her how you feel and let her decide.”

Dahyun hadn’t really thought of that, but once Sana said it, it made sense.

“What about Chae—I mean my friend?” Dahyun asked.

“I think she’ll understand if she’s poly. You can talk to her, too. You can never have too much communication!” Sana declared.

Dahyun laughed. “Okay. Thank you, Sana. You’re always helping me, and I really wish I could do something for you, too.” Dahyun felt like she couldn’t bring as much to the table as Sana.

“You being you, existing alongside me, is the greatest gift.” She reached across the table and took Dahyun’s hand. “I just like spending time with you. So thank you for going on this date with me and trusting me.”

Dahyun felt a warm glow overtake her cheeks. “I like spending time with you, too,” she managed to get out.

Sana beamed at her. She let go of Dahyun’s hand as the food was delivered.

“I’d say we’ve had a very successful date,” Sana giggled.

“Me, too,” Dahyun said with a shy smile. “Let’s eat?”

“Let’s eat!”

Dahyun felt safe with Sana. She felt right with Sana. Despite Sana’s advice, Dahyun felt like if she kept dating Sana, she might be able to forget her feelings for Tzuyu and allow her friends to mend their relationship without her making it more complicated. So that’s what she decided to do: date Sana and leave Tzuyu and Chaeyoung alone.

It hurt her, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Chapter Text

Mina walked down the stairs to see the kitchen bustling. Jeongyeon and Jihyo were bickering with Nayeon and Chaeyoung over something stupid, Dahyun was looking flustered over by Sana, and Chaeyoung was worriedly watching Tzuyu peer into the fridge and push around some beer cans. Momo was the only one who seemed to notice her, a small smile as she watched her walk towards her. 

“Ready?” Momo asked once Mina reached her.

“Minari, did you bring a coat? It’s going to be cold,” Sana said quickly before reaching for a jacket and wrapping it around Mina, planting a kiss on her cheek and Momo’s before returning to Dahyun. 

“Wait, before you go, Momo, settle this for us!” Nayeon yelled, pulling both of them over to where the four were debating. 

“Sorry, Mina, hopefully this ends soon,” Momo said with a sigh. 

“Yeah, this is going to be short because Nayeon is WRONG!” Jihyo exclaimed. Nayeon yelled vehemently in the background, and Mina couldn’t help but laugh at how passionate the girl was. 

“Ok, so the question is fuck, marry, kill, Azula, Judy Hopps, and Shego,” Jeongyeon said calmly, eyebrow raised as she looked at Momo and Mina. Momo’s eyebrows furrowed as she processed the question and Mina started laughing even harder. She loved that this was what had started an all out war in the kitchen. 

Tzuyu leaned into the circle. “From a psychological perspective, anyone who chooses to marry Azula should swing by my office.”

“Azula is hot but Shego was my first crush,” Dahyun said quietly. “And they’re both people.” 

“I just want to know who is not killing Judy Hopps. I mean, she’s a police officer after all,” Sana replied offhandedly. 

“She’s kind of thick though,” Momo said slowly. Nayeon leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. 

“See, this is what I’m saying!”

“At this point I’m scared to even ask what you picked, Nayeon,” Mina giggled. 

“It’s obvious. OBVIOUS. Fuck Judy, marry Azula, kill Shego,” Nayeon replied confidently. 

“Tzuyu, you’re going to need to extend your office hours,” Chaeyoung giggled as she wrapped her arms around the tall girl, who also laughed. Mina noticed the way they looked into each other’s eyes and her heart twinged. She remembered looking at Chaeyoung that way. 

“No, no, we have to kill Azula, marry Shego, and fuck Judy,” Momo said firmly. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at her. Nayeon stepped away from her, eyes full of betrayal. 

“Baby... how could you kill my wife?”

“She’s a textbook psychopath, why would you want to marry that?” Dahyun asked. 

“She’s so hot, she could do whatever-”

The more Mina hung around Nayeon, the more things just made sense. Obviously Nayeon had been outspoken about her weakness for hot women, but it only dawned on Mina at this moment just how weak she was. Azula was a cold blooded dictator, laughing at the struggles of others and crushing anyone who dared oppose her. Mina thought she was hot, too, but she would much rather be around a police officer rabbit than someone who might kill her for breathing wrong. Shego was hot, too, it really could’ve gone either way. Actually, she should probably marry a human. 

“All I’m saying is that if you marry Azula, then the air nomads died in vain,” Jeongyeon said with a serious face, locking eyes with everyone there. 

Nayeon thought about it for a second before shrugging and giving a quick, “Not my problem.” The whole kitchen burst into noise and Mina decided it was probably time to go. She tugged on Momo’s arm, who quickly understood and told everyone they were leaving. 

Mina watched as Nayeon leaned over and kissed Momo, before looking over at Mina with a questioning look. What exactly was the thing to do in this situation? She wasn’t established with Nayeon and she was about to go on a date with her long term partner. Luckily, Nayeon acted quickly and leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. That felt right. 

Walking out the door with Momo was nice, the air was crisp as the sun set and she liked how Momo made sure to open the car door for her. Today’s plan was to go ice skating, which Mina hadn’t done in years, but she was looking forward to it since Momo swore she could teach her. 

Momo could in fact not teach her. Mina thought back to the scene of Bambi on ice, and laughed at the resemblance to Momo in her skates. She hadn’t laughed like this in awhile, and when Momo noticed and blushed harder, slipping once again, Mina decided it was time to go over and try to help her. She bent over and gently draped Momo’s arm over her shoulder and stood up, carefully grasping the railing to help maintain their balance. 

“It uh didn’t look that hard on Youtube,” Momo mumbled while taking small, shaky steps in her skates. Mina thought it was endearing how hard she was trying to maintain she was good at this when she clearly was not. It reminded her a lot of Nayeon. In fact, so many of their mannerisms and phrasings were shared. From some of their filler words to their nervous ticks, they had been together for awhile and it showed. She thought about how some of her inflections matched Sana’s in Japanese and how even sometimes the way Sana told jokes reminded her of Jihyo. At the end of the day, they had all collected their favorite parts of each other and quietly added it to their lives, like crows gathering shiny things for their nests. 

“Just use your right hand to hang on to the railing and your left hand to uh hang on to me?” Mina said with a lilt at the end. They hadn’t really held hands yet, but Momo looked desperate and who was Mina to say no? Momo’s hand was warm, and she held onto it as they slowly skated on the ice. 

Mina had appreciated the new pacing they’d achieved after their repair. Momo had never been pushy, but she was taking extra care to let Mina take the lead on things, or at least offer options. She liked her time with Momo, too. Her calm demeanor was a welcome contrast to Nayeon’s chaotic energy and Sana’s rather warm and charming vibe. Momo was also so attentive and thoughtful, every gesture was laced with intent. It was nice to feel seen so fast. 

After about an hour, Momo had finally figured out how to shuffle around the ice by herself. Mina beamed with pride, clapping as Momo let go of the railing for the first time. Momo raised her hands to cheer when she lost balance and fell. Mina skated over and kneeled down, checking Momo’s hands and knees for cuts and bruises. 

“You guys need to stop falling around me,” Mina mumbled under her breath, worried that maybe Momo was concussed since she hadn’t said anything for a bit. 

“I’m ok, I’m ok. Thanks, Mina,” Momo said quickly, grabbing the railing and brushing ice off herself before extending a hand to Mina. She took it and stood up, face to face with Momo. 

Momo smiled at her and she felt her heart beat faster. Momo’s gaze was soft but attuned, and Mina felt like her soul was being gently examined. It wasn’t unwelcome, it was just new. She liked being seen by Momo. The cold was starting to get to her as she shivered, and Momo took note. 

“Should we go?” Momo asked, to which Mina just nodded. She linked her arm through Momo’s and got them to the edge of the rink. “Thanks for being so patient with me and trying to teach me how to skate.” 

Mina laughed. “Of course, I’m sorry I didn’t catch you when you fell.”

“Maybe you can next time,” Momo replied with a blush. Mina locked eyes with her and silently replied with a similar blush and a small smile, swallowing nervously while nodding. 

-

When Mina got home, she found Sana still talking with Dahyun in the kitchen. It was a likely place to find both of them, but she was still surprised since it seemed to be a serious conversation. 

“Oh! Mina! How was your date?” Sana asked with a smile, gesturing for the girl to come over. Mina walked over into Sana’s arms, trying not to ruin whatever moment was happening. 

“It was good! I can tell you about it later, sorry to interrupt,” Mina said quickly. 

“No worries at all, in fact... It might be good to get your opinion on this?” Dahyun asked quietly. Mina looked at her with a confused look. “We were talking about loving several people at once.”

Ah. The question had been plaguing Mina’s mind, too, and she hadn’t quite had time to think about it as much as she would have liked. Of course Sana was here, that girl had more lovers than fingers and toes. 

“I said it comes very easily to me. Knowing someone almost always means there’s love there, and the level of that depends on the kind of relationship we want to build together. Truthfully, I am not sure there’s that much of a difference between platonic and romantic love,” Sana replied. 

Mina had heard this talk several times before. She didn’t know either, the lines got very blurry for her but for the most part she would not have sex with her friends, nor did she want to build a life with them. She had her lines. 

“How could I know if I actually loved two people though? Wouldn’t I always love one more than the other?” Dahyun asked. 

“Can you like two people at the same time?” Sana had a point she was trying to make for sure, Mina could see her driving the train there. 

“Yeah, but at the end of the day, I’ll have to pick one I like more,” Dahyun replied thoughtfully. “Whether it’s for looks or personality or career.”

“In that order?” Mina teased while a flustered Dahyun tried to recover. 

“Why do we have to pick one?” Sana retorted. Dahyun sat there dumbfounded and Mina remembered when Sana had presented this question to her. 

“Let me answer that so Dahyun can take a break from the hot seat,” Mina stepped in. “When I first met Sana, I asked myself this question, too. I think a lot of it is societal pressure, like you’re legally only allowed to marry one person, you only get one plus one at work events, when buying tickets to things the default is often in pairs. I never really questioned it until I met Sana but these things do set a precedent. There’s so many thoughts around fidelity and what our relationships should look like, but I had never really considered what I wanted my relationships to look like since there was a default that came with so many expectations. What if I liked someone, but maybe not enough to marry them? Generally that would end a relationship, but why should it? I think there are lots of reasons why picking one person to focus on might seem easier, from an emotional, physical, fiscal perspective. But I think when I’ve unpacked it, I’ve found a lot more happiness in going after the things I want, even if it is more complicated with more people.”

“It seems like a way to make your life a whole lot more difficult and disappoint several people at the same time,” Dahyun sighed. 

“And that does happen!” Sana said without missing a beat. “But if everything has a balanced opposite, then doesn’t that also mean there's an opportunity to make life easier and have rewarding experiences with several people at the same time? I’ll also add that I think there’s a scarcity mindset around love and relationships. There are limits on how much time and other resources we have, but I don’t think that the love in my heart is limited. What if we weren’t scared to love? What if we just let it happen?” 

Mina could see the wheels turning in Dahyun’s head. It was a difficult world to enter given the current social structures, and she had to give her props for even entertaining the idea. 

“What about jealousy, though?” Dahyun finally asked. 

“I mean, you’ve seen Nayeon,” Sana teased, the other girls nodding in agreement. “Jealousy is always a factor, but hopefully we have the skills, patience, and love to work it out together.”

“I love that girl but-” Mina started before her hands quickly covered her mouth. She realized she hadn’t actually said it out loud. Dahyun looked confused and Sana had the biggest grin on her face. 

“You love that girl? Does she know?” Sana teased, leaning into Mina and poking at her cheeks. Mina hated how much Sana immediately knew without her saying anything. 

“Who’s the girl?” Dahyun asked. It was a valid question, given the revolving door of women that seemed to roll through the door. 

Mina twiddled her fingers and looked down. She wasn’t embarrassed, this was just new and she hadn’t quite wrapped her mind around it yet. And she was shy. “It’s uh Nayeon.” 

Dahyun’s eyes went wide with this revelation and Sana gently patted her on the back as she took it in. 

“The grip that girl has over this group,” Dahyun mumbled, eliciting a laugh from Sana and Mina. “What is it about her?”

“She’s a really nice lay,” Sana immediately said. Mina and Dahyun both felt their cheeks flush. “I’m just kidding, not that it isn’t true but that’s not why. I love how she cares for me and how funny she is, and I love that she’s always herself and that we have so much fun together.” 

“She’s very genuine and treats me nicely. I like who I get to be when I’m with her and I want the best for her,” Mina said thoughtfully. “I can talk to her about anything and she’s down. One time she was telling me about some work drama and I think I could talk to her forever.” 

“But you love Sana, too?” Dahyun asked. 

“Of course, but I love Sana because of how she handles my feelings and takes care of me. I love how she makes me feel, too, but it’s different from how Nayeon makes me feel. It’s... it’s like with friendship, each one is different, right?” Mina replied. 

Sana grabbed Mina’s hand with a mischievous look in her eyes. “I love you for so many reasons and I need you for one of them upstairs right now. Dahyun, will you excuse us?”

Dahyun quickly nodded and left the kitchen. 

“I love how you talk about us,” Sana said as she kissed Mina. 

“And I love you,” Mina replied, knowing where this was going and quickly maneuvering them up the stairs before anyone accidentally saw something.

Chapter Text

“What flavor do you want, baby?” Chaeyoung stood in front of the counter of the ice cream shop, carefully combing over all her options. Tzuyu stood behind her, arms wrapped around Chaeyoung’s shoulders.

“I’ll just get my usual,” Tzuyu said, not even glancing at the flavors.

“You really never get tired of pineapple ice cream?” Chaeyoung turned around in her arms, her face twisted in disgust.

Tzuyu leaned down and kissed her forehead. “No, just like you don’t tire of strawberry. They’re both fruits, so I don’t know why you judge mine so harshly.”

“Strawberry is a normal fruit,” Chaeyoung said. “Pineapple is…”

“Delicious? I know,” Tzuyu said with a little smirk. “Now you lost at the arcade, so you buy our ice creams. You already know what you want anyway, baby.”

Chaeyoung stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend. “Fine, but you have to let go of me so I can go do that.”

Tzuyu reluctantly let go of her girlfriend and watched her approach the counter. She returned a moment later with two cups of ice cream. They sat at a small table near the front window, overlooking the busy street. Tzuyu mostly saw people dressed casually walking by since it was the weekend. There were families with little kids who lingered outside the ice cream shop and begged to go in, only to be pulled away by an annoyed parent.

They sat in a comfortable silence eating for a bit when, about halfway through her cup of ice cream, Chaeyoung began to fidget. Tzuyu knew this was one of Chaeyoung’s habits when she wanted to talk about something, but was anxious to do so.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Tzuyu asked so Chaeyoung could hopefully just open up.

“You know?” Chaeyoung seemed taken aback.

“Of course I do,” Tzuyu said, her eyes finding Chaeyoung’s. “You always fidget when you’re nervous.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that…” Chaeyoung remained quiet for a minute before clearing her throat. “Actually, I was thinking and… Do you think you’ll ever feel secure enough to open the relationship up again?”

Tzuyu sat there for a moment, just processing the question. She didn’t like Chaeyoung’s choice in the word secure. It was never about security or not trusting Chaeyoung. It was about sharing her.

“I’m perfectly secure,” Tzuyu said. “That’s not the problem, and I thought you knew that.”

“I don’t understand then,” Chaeyoung said. “If you’re secure, what’s…” She paused.

“The problem?” Tzuyu crossed her arms. “It’s just the concept of it, of seeing you look at other people the way you look at me.”

“It’s how I look at people?” Chaeyoung asked, voice lilting up at the end. “That’s it?”

“No!” Tzuyu stabbed her spoon into her ice cream. “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this here.” Tzuyu self consciously looked around the store. “We can talk about it at home, or even in the park. Just not in a small shop with children around.” Tzuyu wanted to spare the children from one of her fights with Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung sighed. “Fine, let’s go then?” Chaeyoung stood up, ice cream in one hand, her other hand outstretched to Tzuyu.

Tzuyu took her hand without a second thought. Even when they fought, she was still Chaeyoung. She was still her girlfriend and the person she loved most in the world. Why couldn’t Chaeyoung see that that’s what she wanted—to be the person Chaeyoung loved most, too?

They walked hand-in-hand to the nearby park, sitting on the first bench they saw. Silence fell between the two of them for a moment, but, unlike earlier, this wasn’t a comfortable silence. It was heavy, filled with words yet to be said—words that would hurt them.

“So it’s not about feeling secure?” Chaeyoung’s voice was small when she spoke.

“No, it’s…” Tzuyu tried to find the best way to word what she felt was obvious. “I want what we have to be special. I want those looks, those words we say to each other, those feelings we have for each other… I want that to remain between us and only us.”

“But it does, whether or not I’m dating someone else.” Chaeyoung looked at Tzuyu, her eyes pleading with her girlfriend to understand.

“Not to me,” Tzuyu said, looking down at her hands. “When you say ‘I love you’ to someone else while saying it to me, it just hurts. It feels like it makes what we have not as special if you can just as easily have it with someone else.”

“Tzu…” Chaeyoung’s head dropped and she threaded her hands through her hair. “No, that’s just not the case. I love you differently from how I love anyone else. What we have is special because it exists only between us.”

“If it’s so special, why isn’t it enough for you?” Tzuyu felt tears pricking at her eyes. She roughly wiped them away.

“It’s not about our relationship not being enough for me. It’s just that I don’t see romantic love as being confined to only one relationship. I have a lot of love to give, but it’s all unique and special. I don’t feel like I’m loving you and someone else the same way. When I look at you, I see you, and when I look at someone else, I see them. To me there’s no comparison. There’s just love.”

Tzuyu sighed. She thought Chaeyoung’s response sounded very hippy and good in concept, but hard to actually execute in reality.

“I don’t see love the same way,” Tzuyu admitted. “Romantic love exists between me and one other person. When I’m with them, it’s all them. I don’t want to look at or think about another person in a similar way.”

“But think of it this way—you have a lot of friends, right? Could you imagine having only one?” Chaeyoung said it quickly, as if she was pleading with Tzuyu to see her point-of-view.

“Friendship is different, Chae.” Tzuyu slumped down a bit. It was clear she and Chaeyoung had different ideas when it came to love and romance, and she was worried that even with time just the two of them, they wouldn’t be able to reconcile those differences.

“But why? Don’t you see my point?” Chaeyoung grabbed Tzuyu’s hand. “I love you, Tzuyu. The way I love you is different from how I’ve ever loved anyone and ever will love anyone.”

Tzuyu felt herself melting as she stared into Chaeyoung’s eyes. She wanted to give in and say it was all okay, that she understood. But wasn’t that what kept causing their issues?

“I understand, but I don’t feel the same way.” Saying it hurt Tzuyu because she could feel the crack in their relationship forming and she was worried they couldn’t repair it.

“So… you want to keep the relationship closed forever?” When Chaeyoung asked, there wasn’t any judgement or resentment in her voice—there was only a painful realization.

“I…I do.” Tzuyu felt the crack get bigger.

“Okay, um, let me think for a bit?” Chaeyoung sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“Of course,” Tzuyu quickly said. “Take all the time you need.” She reached forward and pulled Chaeyoung close. “I love you, Chaeyoung. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Chaeyoung whispered. She clung to Tzuyu as she began to cry.

Tears came to Tzuyu’s eyes again, and, this time, she let them fall.

***

The cafeteria was bustling. There were doctors in their white coats, nurses in their colorful scrubs, patients in their gowns, and plenty of visitors with their name tags eating and chatting. Tzuyu was seated across from Dahyun, who was pushing around the somewhat wilted salad she bought.

“I regret not bringing my own lunch,” Dahyun whined. “How are they serving this kind of food in a hospital?”

Tzuyu opened the kimbap she’d brought with her. “Do you want some of mine?”

She was surprised to see Dahyun blush.

“Are you sure?” She squeaked out.

Tzuyu picked up a piece with her chopsticks and placed it on top of Dahyun’s salad.

“Thanks,” Dahyun said. “Mmm!” She said as she chewed. “This is great! Did you make it?”

“Yeah, I made a batch for the next few days. It’s good?” Tzuyu didn’t know why, but she was nervous about Dahyun’s answer.

“It’s delicious.” Dahyun smiled at her. “You should teach me sometime.”

Now Tzuyu felt herself blush. “Sure, that would be fun.”

“How was your weekend?” Dahyun asked.

Tzuyu wasn’t sure she wanted to recount her fight was it a fight? with Chaeyoung, but she didn’t want to lie to Dahyun, either.

“It was fine…” She tried to pick up another piece of kimbap, but it tumbled out of her chopsticks.

“Are you sure?”

Tzuyu looked up at Dahyun, surprised. How did she know she was lying?

“When you’re not telling the whole truth, you tend to get a bit…” Dahyun pointed to Tzuyu’s chopsticks. “Uncoordinated,” she finally said.

“Ah, really?” Tzuyu hadn’t noticed that about herself, but Dahyun had?

“Yeah, it’s cute.” Dahyun froze, her eyes wide. “I mean—a cute trait, um, it’s… yeah.” She shoved salad into her mouth so quickly Tzuyu swore she almost choked.

Cute?

“Anyway! What happened this weekend?” Dahyun asked.

“Well, Chaeyoung and I had… not exactly a fight, but words, this weekend and I’m worried.” She frowned. “I actually don’t think we can survive if she opens the relationship again. I don’t think I can take it.” It felt weird to admit it outloud, but, once she said it, she knew it to be true. If Chaeyoung insisted on this, she couldn’t handle it. It hurt too much.

“That’s big to realize.” Dahyun brought Tzuyu back to the present moment. “Do you think Chaeyoung will be okay keeping it closed?”

“I…I’m not sure.” Tzuyu’s stomach began to hurt as she truly considered that Chaeyoung might choose polyamory over her. Was that even what was happening? Wasn’t this part of who Chaeyoung was and Tzuyu had to accept it in order to be with her?

“I knew she was poly when we started dating, so I feel like this is my fault.” Tzuyu sighed.

“You couldn’t have known how you’d feel this far into the relationship,” Dahyun quickly said. “Did you think you were poly, too?”

Tzuyu shrugged. “I just really liked Chaeyoung and I wanted to be with her. I thought I could do it even if I wasn’t poly. Clearly I can’t.” She laughed, but Dahyun’s brows just knitted together as she stared at her friend.

“You love her. Love will make us go to the ends of the earth, sometimes. It makes us push our boundaries.” Dahyun sounded passionate about this.

“I guess it does,” Tzuyu agreed. “So we’ll see if love saves us, I suppose.” She picked up a piece of gimbap. “I’ll be over at the house tonight for movie night. Are you going?”

“Well, I do live there,” Dahyun chuckled. “So I guess by default I am.”

Tzuyu smiled at her. “Perfect. Save me a spot next to you.”

Dahyun blushed as she stammered out “Su-sure. Will do!” and then proceeded to shove more salad in her mouth.

Tzuyu wasn’t sure what was going on with Dahyun, but she had a feeling that soon, she would figure it out.

***

Movie night was a big occasion at the house. It was rare for everyone to be together under the same roof because schedules hardly aligned for a few people, let alone everyone.

“Momo! We need more popcorn!” Nayeon hollered from the living room.

“You do realize you can make the popcorn as easily as I can, right?” Momo grumbled.

Nayeon sprung up off the couch. “You’re the chef.” She kissed Momo on the cheek.

“It’s microwave popcorn,” Momo whined.

“I’ll make the popcorn,” Mina said with a laugh, making both Momo and Nayeon blush.

Tzuyu wanted to roll her eyes at how down bad everyone was for Mina, but Mina was too nice for her to do that. She deserved to have everyone down bad. Tzuyu sometimes thought that in another life, she, too, would like Mina. But in this life, she loved Chaeyoung. And Chaeyoung liked Mina. Why did life have to be so cruel?

“So we’re watching Marley, right?” Jeongyeon asked Jihyo as they made their way to the living room.

“Uh…” Jihyo gave her a sheepish smile. “I may have just said that to get you to show up.”

“Ay! Park Jihyo!” Jeongyeon shouted as she swatted at her girlfriend. “So what are we really watching?”

“Twilight!” Nayeon shouted, sticking her tongue out at Jeongyeon.

“Why are we watching a bunch of straight vampires?” Jeongyeon shouted back at Nayeon.

“Because it’s a cultural revolution, Yoo Jeongyeon. I wouldn’t expect your chronically offline butt to understand.”

“I was a kid, too, Nayeon. I remember them being a big deal, but I never got the appeal.

Jihyo wrapped her arms around Jeongyeon’s neck from behind, kissing her there.

“So how mad at me are you?” She asked, kissing Jeongyeon again.

“Ugh,” Jeongyeon groaned. “You and your tricks, Park Jihyo. Thank god you’re hot.”

Jihyo kissed her again, giggling. “Thank god, indeed.”

“Hello, everyone!” Sana burst through the door, Dahyun in tow carrying bottles of seltzer. “We’re back from the convenience store! We’ve got seltzer and candies.” She dumped her bounty on the counter. She looked around at the girls, her eyes stopping on Jeongyeon and Jihyo. “Ah, you told her it’s not Marley?” she said to Jihyo.

“So everyone was in on this?” Jeongyeon whined.

“Sorry, baby,” Jihyo mumbled, kissing Jeongyeon again.

“Hey, Tzuyu.” Dahyun came up beside Tzuyu. “So, are you team Edward or team Jacob?”

“I’m team Bella ends up alone,” Tzuyu deadpanned. “She doesn’t need these immature men.”

Dahyun laughed. Tzuyu frowned. Had she really been that funny?

“I’m team Edward. I just like something about the vampires.”

“Me, too!” Momo exclaimed, coming up beside the two girls. “Nayeon is team Jacob, though,” she whispered.

“Which is the only right team to be!” Nayeon exclaimed from across the room, where she was stuffing Twizzlers in her mouth.

“Save those for the movie, bunny,” Sana said, coming up behind Nayeon and wrapping her arms around her waist. She kissed her cheek. “You’re cute,” she giggled.

Cute. It reminded Tzuyu of what Dahyun had said earlier that day.

“Hey, baby.” Chaeyoung’s voice made Tzuyu whip her head around. There was her girlfriend, covered in paint with a grin on her face. “I’m gonna go wash up. Save me a seat?”

Tzuyu leaned down and kissed Chaeyoung. “Of course, baby.”

Chaeyoung hurried off and Tzuyu turned back to Momo and Dahyun. “I don’t really care about this movie,” Tzuyu admitted.

“I think only Nayeon really cares,” Momo said.

“Stop bullying me, Momo!” Nayeon yelled from across the room.

“How does she hear you?” Dahyun asked, eyes wide.

Momo shrugged. “She’s just really in tune with me, I guess.”

Tzuyu laughed. She was a bit jealous of Momo and Nayeon. They worked so well together and, as the past few weeks showed, were able to work through anything. Momo was really amazing to weather the poly backlash they were receiving now.

“You’re a really strong person, Momo,” Tzuyu said before she could stop herself. “I admire that about you.”

Momo blushed and looked down at her feet. “Thanks, Tzuyu,” she said. “You’re sweet.”

“Are you flirting with my girlfriend?” Nayeon suddenly popped up behind Tzuyu, making her jump.

“She’s just complimenting me,” Momo said with a sigh. “I’m all yours, baby. Well, and Sana’s and Jihyo’s and Mina’s—” Momo stopped when she realized she’d said Mina’s name.

Nayeon just grinned. “It seems like Ms. Myoui has just wrapped around her finger lately.”

Tzuyu glanced at where Mina was—across the room talking to Sana. Jealously bubbled up in her. Why can’t I be more like her? Why can’t I be so loved by everyone? Why can’t I just be okay with sharing Chaeyoung?

“Okay, grab your snacks and get cozy!” Jihyo said from the living room. “We’re starting the movie in five minutes!” She clapped her hands once and the other girls all scrambled to the kitchen to grab popcorn and drinks and candies.

“I’m back!” Chaeyoung wrapped her arms around Tzuyu. She smelled like her strawberry body wash. “You ready, baby?”

Tzuyu hugged Chaeyoung back, breathing her in.

“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s get some snacks and grab a seat.”

Chaeyoung took her hand and led her to the counter, excitedly getting them a bowl of popcorn to share.

Tonight, Chaeyoung was all hers. She wasn’t Mina’s, and she wasn’t anyone else’s. Tonight, Tzuyu had her to herself. And for now, that was enough.

That had to be enough.