365 Days of You

Chapter 11

Nayeon hits the sack until her hand hurts as much as her heart does.

Joengyeon gives her a worried glance. This is a girl she once hated with all her heart, now she can't bear to think she's hurting.

The older girl punches the sack again, groaning when an intense pain shoots through her hand.

Jeongyeon immediately rushes to her, takes off the gloves and nurses her swollen hand with an ice pack.

She thinks back to a moment like this a month ago when the older girl won her heart.

"It's time to initiate phase 2." Jihyo declares.

"So soon?" The panic in Nayeon's eyes are palpable.

"It's now or never Nayeonnie." Tzuyu states.

"Wish me luck."

Nayeon takes a deep breath and feels better when Chaeyoung gives her a peck on the cheek and says, "You've got this."

"Yes Nayeonnie, fighting." Dahyun cheers.

Nayeon's therapist has asked her to pick a sport but she has picked boxing at this particular club because Jeongyeon is a member.

I don't want to know about your family or whatever.

She recalls her own words.

She is righting the wrongs.

For Mina.

That thought alone gives her enough strength to walk into the boxing club.

At first, Jeongyeon is rude to her, insults her, but Nayeon's patient and persistent.

It's four weeks later when she is packing her bags that she hears someone yelp. She finds Jeongyeon lying in the ring groaning in pain.

"What happened?" Nayeon runs to her side immediately.

When she refuses to answer, choosing to glare at her instead, she ignores the rudeness, fetches ice, calls an ambulance, stays with her at the hospital, never leaving her side, whispering words of comfort throughout.

She doesn't leave to get lunch or dinner. And Jeongyeon feels a little bad eventhough she doesn't want to care.

When Nayeon finally drives Jeongyeon home, requesting not to tell anyone that it is her who has done this, Jeongyeon stops her with,

"Done what? You mean taken care of me?"

She nods.

"Are you always like this? Refuse to show the good things you do?"

Nayeon meets the short haired girl's eyes and there is a hint of affection in them.

And she knows that she has just won over another member of the Mina pack.

"She can't take you back if you're dead you know."

Nayeon hisses as Jeongyeon presses the ice on her bruised skin.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm dead to her."

Her voice is laced with a tinge of sadness.

Jeongyeon shakes her head affectionately.

"My friend is a tough one to break. But tell me, is there anyone tougher than an Im?"

Nayeon beams at her, her confidence returning.

"You're going to win your wife back Nayeonnie. There's no other end to this story."

Jeongyeon lets herself be pulled into a hug in the arms of a girl she loves as much her best friend.

The confidence slightly falters when Nayeon finds herself standing in front of the audition hall, wondering if she is doing the right thing.

Nayeon-ssi, Nayeon-ssi are you getting back with your wife?

Nayeon-ssi, is it true that you bribed the judge to postpone the hearing date?

Nayeon-ssi are you seeing Seok again?

She doesn't know how the paps found her. They must have followed her car from the mansion.

"Seok, who? Oppa, you better clean your arse before you pull things out of them."

She hears some of the paps laugh at the one who asked her the last question.

When she finally goes through the double door and takes a seat in the audience section, she sees Mina getting on stage.

The younger girl's eyes scan the crowd for a brief moment and settles on her friends sitting in the second row.

Nayeon is thankful she chose a dark corner at the back to sit. She doesn't want to upset Mina right before her performance.

She is not religious, despite that she says a small prayer in her head when the audition starts. Her heart hammers, pulse pounds, feeling nervous and anxious for Mina.

Nayeon's eyes fill to the brim with tears, her soft lips stretch to a smile when she hears a beautiful voice echo through the auditorium.

How has she not known Mina could sing this well?

There are so many things you don't know about me.

What a blind fool she has been.

She tries to make a quiet exit after the audition when a low voice from behind her stops her.

"Fancy seeing you here."

The paps who are crowded outside, frenzily try to get a picture of them.

"I see you brought your whole army as well."

She flinches hearing the ridicule in Mina's voice. A voice that used to be affectionate and doting.

She lets out a barely audible sigh and turns to face Mina.

"You did brilliantly. I'm really proud of you."

The expression on the Japanese girl's face tells Nayeon that she hasn't expected to hear that. Her disbelief is evident in the crease of her lovely brow and the downcurve of her full lips.

"Thank you."

Nayeon feels her mouth twitch, threatening to break into a smile.

Mina, Mina is being civil to her.

"This," The younger girl points to the stage with her finger with a wistful smile, "is a nice upgrade from prostitution right?"

She turns to Nayeon, giving her a pointed look.

You will have a word about what? That you want to pay your contract worker more money because she let you fuck her?

Nayeon blinks rapidly, her eyes burning and chest aching as the past plays on her mind.

She fights back the tears even as her lips trembles and shoulders heave with emotion.

She can't break down in front of Mina. She can't make her feel guilty, not when she knows for certain she deserves this and worse.

"Good luck Mina, I hope you get the part."

She forces a small smile to her lips, despite her glistening eyes and quivering chin and leaves, her shoulders sagging with grief, gait burdened and heavy.

Mina watches her go, sadness welling up in her chest, throat constricting with emotions.

She wonders if this wound will ever heal, why she can't feel happy when the older girl is miserable.