365 Days of You

Chapter 18

Boram rubs her temples and tries to quell an onsetting headache. She hasn't been subjected to this stubborn side of Nayeon in a long time.

"No, unnie. I am not attending this event. That's final."

"It's an important party Nayeon-ssi. The record label committee is going to be there. You can't just avoid it."

"I understand unnie." Nayeon offers sympathetically, "But I cant. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Dahyun asks, casting a curious glance at Nayeon. "Is it because you have to bring Mina along? I thought you were getting along with her."

Nayeon frowns, her scowl deepening. "It's not that."

'Then what is the problem Nayeonnie?" Tzuyu expresses, annoyed at the fuss over a party.

Nayeon has been out with Mina at parties before, granted she hasn't always been sober, but she still can't see why the older girl is suddenly making a big deal out of it.

"Hyun. He will be there." Nayeon states meekly.

"So?" Dahyun smirks.

Exactly so? Nayeon can't put a finger on what she is feeling. She doesn't understand why she feels this protective over the blonde. It hasn't happened to her since her younger brother.

"He seems kind of obsessed with Mina, the last time he interviewed me."

Jihyo's lip twitches into a smile at the quiet way the words are whispered.

"And?" Chaeyoung asks impatiently.

"And? Have you forgotten how she was after Geun? I don't want her moping around the house looking right depressed and shit." Even as Nayeon utters the words, she knows it is a lie.

Jihyo's smile turns into a knowing grin.

"Hyun is not Geun, Nayeon. Besides I'm sure you would keep Mina safe. Wouldn't you?'

She will because she cares. Slightly. Maybe. But she isn't going to admit it and make Jihyo's annoying grin even wider.

"I'm not her bloody bodyguard. She can look after herself."

"Right." Dahyun nods, sharing a secretive smile with Jihyo.

"Bloody right."

Nayeon agrees.

"Nayeon-chan? Why don't you go and talk to Adam?" Mina asks, her eyes flickering back and forth between her silent companion and the American dancer.

She can tell she wants to talk to him, but Nayeon is acting stranger than usual, glaring at everyone who dares to approach their table.

"No."

Mina knows she isn't going to get an explanation and decides to drop the questioning with a sigh. She sees Hyun waving at her and calling them over to meet someone.

"Hyun wants us to go over to him."

The older girl looks so fast up Mina wonders how she hasn't broken her neck yet.

"I don't care." Nayeon growls.

"It's rude. You can't just ignore him." She exhales a soft breath, deliberating what has gotten into the older girl, only to get even more silence in reply. "Fine, I'll go and talk to him then."

"No." Nayeon almost yells and regrets it as soon as she sees the blonde flinch at the harshness of her tone.

"No?"

"No." She repeats, this time a little less louder.

Mina feels anger bubble up her throat. "Are you ordering me?" She asks evenly.

Nayeon twitches uncomfortably in her seat.

"You're my wife. I have the rights?"

It comes out like a question instead of an answer and Nayeon almost smiles at herself. She hasn't done that since she was a teenager. She quickly hides her smile not wanting to upset the younger girl even further.

"Wrong answer. I'm only your contract wife and there is no need to pretend, as there is nobody within five feet of us because you've been oh so helpfully glaring at everyone who comes our way. So try again."

Mina speaks slowly and clearly, as she tries to control the irritation at being bossed around.

"Because you're wearing high heels and might trip?"

Mina sees a ghost of smile playing on Nayeon's lips.

"Nayeon-chan." She begins exasperatedly.

"Wrong answer? Try again?"

Nayeon has the audacity to not even bother hiding her smile anymore. She's having fun teasing the blonde who looks almost adorable as she huffs at her response.

"Fine. Speak to me again when you've dropped your childish attitude."

Mina isn't even mad at her anymore, how can she be when Nayeon is being so playful? However, she isn't ready to drop her act and speak to the singer.

Nayeon shrugs. See if I care, she tells herself. She isn't big on having conversations anyway.

Two minutes of painful silence later, Nayeon decides Mina is being very immature about this, three minutes later she wishes the girls would come back to the table instead of socialising, four minutes later she convinces herself she is enjoying the silence, five minutes later she's had enough of the silent treatment.

"He has a thing for you ok? Go right ahead and talk to him if you want to, but don't expect me to come play hero if he tries something. I'm tired of this bodyguard duty anyway." She scoffs, twisting the table napkin in her hand.

Despite herself, Mina smiles as it sinks in why the older girl has remained faithfully by her side throughout the evening.

Nayeon is protecting her.

The same Nayeon who hurt her once, is now trying to keep her from getting hurt.

It is such a thoughtful gesture, sweet even; something she would have never associated with Nayeon before and she is glad she is beginning to see this side of the older girl more often.

"I won't go."

"Whatever."

Nayeon says dismissively, like she can't care less about what the blonde does.

Two seconds later, Mina swears she sees a goofy grin splitting Nayeon's face and her heart swells at the sight.

Out of body experience.

She is sure she is having one of them, because Nayeon has marched right into her room and asked, more like demanded, that they go out for lunch together.

She surely isn't expecting them to wear hoodies and huge sunglasses, and have lunch at McDonald's out of all places.

It's bizarre, carefree and normal all at the same time. The singer still has trouble making conversations, but Mina's smiles are big and bright and encouraging whenever she tries and engage in small awkward talk.

She has also learnt few things about the older girl, like how she double dips all her nuggets, her sweet tooth- she stirs six packet of sugars into her coffee, raises an eyebrow when Mina gasps and cheekily adds another, her love hate relationship with tictacs- she declares she loves them as she pops one into her mouth only to spit them out a minute later in complete disgust; these quirks only making Nayeon more human in Mina's eyes, an extremely likeable one at that.

Six hours later, they walk into their home, tired and exhausted, and Nayeon says with a smug grin, "Now go make me a sandwich, wife," Mina doesn't resist the urge to throw a pillow on her face.

When Nayeon responds with a rich laughter that resonates around the room, Mina convinces herself she is definitely having an out of body experience.