365 Days of You

Chapter 4

Whatever he has expected to see is far removed from what he is seeing.

He has expected to come across a cold, calculative person who doesn't care for anyone except herself.

-someone who is celebrating their freedom. Someone who is joyful about finally being out of a fake relationship.

-someone who is detached, distant and unaffected.

But what he sees is someone as broken, as miserable as his daughter.

He feels a a little self conscious as Nayeon stares at him for long.

"You have her eyes."

The younger girl says in awe.

He notices how it's said affectionately.

"How's she?"

Inconsolable. Heartbroken.

"She's holding up okay." He sees the girl exhale a soft puff of breath. "How are you?"

He's stormed in here wanting to give her a piece of her mind. But the girl before him looks like she hasn't eaten in days and stinks of alcohol and he can't help his fatherly instinct to care from showing.

Nayeon laughs dryly.

"You care. Just like her."

Those words surprise him. Only people who love deeply will notice the little traits they adore in the family.

"I came to collect some documents Boram said is with you."

It is a lie.

He has come here to collect the documents and tear her down.

But what can he do when she already looks this broken?

Nayeon nods, retrieving the files from the shelf and handing it over to him.

"Can you tell her I'm sorry?"

He sighs.

"That's something you have to tell her yourself."

Nayeon watches as the older man walk away.

Ims are selfish.

Her father has said.

He is so wrong.

The only thing that has been on her mind when he walked through that door was her worry for Mina.

When she heard she was holding up ok she has felt a huge relief seep through her heart, like someone has taken the weight of the world off her shoulders.

It hasn't mattered to her that's she's miserable. She has only wanted to hear Mina is happy.

She has cared for Mina more than she cared for herself.

That isn't the textbook definition of selfish, is it?

Seven weeks later, she walks into the home Mina used to work.

She knows the blonde won't be around because she quit, but she just wants to feel closer to her and Nam-ji for a while.

"She was a wonderful cook."

Cho says, showing Nayeon the kitchen.

"A lot of people can cook. But only few can bring love to your food. You can eat at so many restaurants but you know that feeling when you have something that reminds you of your mother's food, that's the feeling Mina brought to these kids."

Nayeon nods.

She has never known home food. Her childhood has entirely been about frozen or container foods.

Whenever her grandmother wanted her to spend summer holidays with her so she can care and cook for her, her father wouldn't let her because then he had to look after Nam-ji by himself.

She has never had anyone cook for her.

She has never known what it is like to have home food.

Until Mina.

At first, she has been a little hesitant to have what she made because she didn't want to get used to it but there was only so much she could resist when the members wouldn't stop gushing about what she made.

Clearing her thoughts, she walks past the kitchen to the office.

She sees a box of Mina's things in the corner.

"Her friends are coming round tomorrow to get them."

Cho tells her.

A teddybear catches her eye.

It says Minayeon forever.

She smiles at fans' name for the couple. Her heart flutters gently as she picks up the soft toy in her nimble fingers.

"I gave it to her for her birthday. She would smile exactly like you whenever she saw it."

Nayeon blinks through the tears that are rapidly forming.

Her chest swells with something so fast, so hard, she thinks it's going to explode.

She moves to a window and rests her forehead against it to get some air.

When she looks up she sees an old couple across the street sitting on a bench, holding hands.

The old lady says something, making the man laugh and he lays a kiss on her forehead.

Nayeon notes sadly that whatever they have, she used to have it with Mina.

She recalls all the tender glances, loving touches and shy smiles she has shared with the blonde.

"That's love, isn't it?"

Cho asks, looking in the direction of her gaze. The old man is cupping the lady's cheek and looking at her adoringly.

Nayeon's eyes snaps to Cho's.

Love?

Is that what she has with Mina? This thing inside her chest threatening to break her, consume her and knock her down, this intense feeling she so long couldn't put a name to, is this love?

"Definitely love."

Cho says looking at the couple who are laughing at something.

Nayeon steadies herself against the window, trying to gather herself.

Everything suddenly seems to make sense.

Why she went out of her way to make Mina's New Year perfect, why she let her take Romeo, why she felt irritated when Min was around, why she flew halfway across the world for a vet appointment, why she made those breakfasts she so obviously sucked at, why she lost sleep making gift boxes, why her fridge is stacked with apple juice, why she brought back Christmas when nobody could convince her for seven years.

She is in love with Mina.

And taken so damn long to realise it.