365 Days of You

Chapter 24

Nayeon's exhausted.

Beth is making them rehearse to perfection. Nonstop. For the past ten hours.

"Does it hurt?"

Jihyo eyes her, like her words mean more than what she is asking. Like she is asking if Nayeon's body hurts as much as she hurt Mina.

"Don't you think I deserve it?"

Jihyo shrugs as she takes a sip of her water. "Only you'd know the answer to that Nayeon."

Chayeoung looks at the pair puzzled. Their tone is heavy even though they are only talking about rehearsals. But she doesn't question them.

When Nayeon walks into the house feeling completely burnt out, she sees Momo laughing with Mina.

They are playing around while they cook. Momo's arms are around Mina's waist trying to distract her from cooking.

Mina tries to shove her away with a bright gummy smile on her face.

Nayeon feels her mood instantly brighten.

It turns a little sour when she sees her father staring at the pair sceptically.

"Nayeon-chan, you're home. "

Momo cackles.

That girl definitely doesn't need a reason to laugh. It lightens Nayeon's mood even more.

Nayeon's eyes meet warm brown for a moment and she bites her lips nervously.

The younger girl, for some unfathomable reason, is looking at her fondly.

She walks towards Mina and pulls her into a hug. She doesn't know if she's still repulsed by her touch but her father is watching and he can't know the truth about the contract.

She will never give him the power to hurt Mina.

Like she hasn't already done enough of that.

It's odd, Nayeon thinks, as she feels Mina relax into the hug. She feels her own eyes shut for a moment or two.

When they pull apart, Nayeon watches transfixed as Mina's hands reaches for her arms.

The younger girl's slender fingers gently trail upwards to find purchase on her shoulders.

Nayeon hopes to god Mina won't see the goosebumps her touch causes.

Hazel eyes locks on to hers and Nayeon can't seem to look away. She doesn't know how long they stand there, looking at each other.

It could have been seconds or minutes.

"Nayeon-chan." She hears Mina whisper her name. "Hi."

Nayeon drops the gaze, flushing slightly when she hears her father clear his throat.

She doesn't know if this is an act to the younger girl or if it is real. But the heart beating loudly in her chest feels very real.

When Mina leaves a scorching kiss on her cheek in the corner of her mouth and turns around to pay attention to the dinner, Nayeon feels a little dizzy and thinks she's probably really exhausted, more so than she has thought.

She lets out a soft breath and decides to take a seat in the living room to quell the dizziness.

She finds her father sitting on the couch, looking grumpy and miserable.

"Don't you think they're a bit too close?"

He points at Momo who is pinching Mina's cheek dotingly.

Nayeon feels her lips curving into a smile at the sight.

"Sure she isn't fucking your wife behind your back darling?"

Nayeon eyes him incredulously. She doesn't want him dumping his spite and hate onto her.

"They're bestfriends dad. If you want to keep whining about my wife to me, I think it'd be best to cut your visit short."

Her tone is calm and collected.

Her father's eyes are cold and vindictive.

She shrugs like she hasn't just told him to get out of her house.

"She's going to break your heart someday."

He laughs wickedly, playing on the insecurities he knows she holds on to.

"Mark my words darling."

Nayeon feels her resolve weaken, if only for a moment. But she won't let him win. She won't let him get to her. Because, when she does, she becomes a despicable version of herself. She becomes her father.

"If anyone is capable of breaking another person's heart around here cruelly, selfishly, it's you and me dad. Don't you think it runs in the family?"

She kicks off her shoes, and sits on the sofa, watching him with unwavering attention.

"Are you blaming me for your flaws?"

He grinds his teeth.

She shakes her head.

She is going to make sure he gets the message through for once and for all.

"I'm just saying my wife is incapable of hurting anyone. She's the kindest, most trusting and gentlest soul I've ever met. She works in a home dad, you know why? Because she cares for people around her."

She gives him a pointed look and continues.

"That's so different from you and me, isn't it dad? With her cooking talent she can get a job anywhere. Heck, she can use my name to get any job she wants. But she's also the proudest woman I've ever met. A woman who's kind, beautiful, loving, caring, respects herself, where do you get off dissing someone like that dad?"

"I am-" He starts with a bark.

"If you're going to finish that sentence with sorry, apology accepted. I don't want to hear another word about my wife. Are we clear? "

Crystal clear apparently.

Because he stomps off to his room furiously.

Nayeon hears someone behind her after a while.

"Momo, done cooking?"

She wonders how much of the conversation the giggly one heard.

Momo shrugs as she looks around on the armchair for something. "Almost, are you hungry?"

"Yes. Starving to be honest."

Nayeon sighs in relief because Momo looks like she has no idea what just took place between her dad and her.

"Ah, here you are."

Momo retrieves her phone from under the cushions and gives it a loud smack.

Nayeon laughs at her cute antics. She sure is a strange one.