One, two butterflies

Chapter 9

Two days went by and again, Chaeyoung kept her distance with Mina. She didn't like the way she felt about her friend. The older one appeared in her dreams, dreams she would never want to wake up from. Chaeyoung found herself favoring Mina's smile and presence yet avoiding them. Though she spent a lot of her time battling the feelings within her chest, there was nothing she could do to brush it off.

So when Thursday came around and she saw the back of her figure in the lunch room, she turned her heel and headed towards the bathroom taking the first opened bathroom stall. Her heart had quickened in its pace the second she saw her. Chaeyoung wanted to spend time with Mina and felt bad for ghosting her. There was no denying that they had become somewhat close friends.

Chaeyoung spent her lunch in that bathroom stall feeling foolish for dreading Mina so much as she smoked. She constantly thought about her giggle and the silver tooth hidden behind her perfectly brushed teeth. The girl couldn't fight the smile when thinking about Mina feeling whatever she herself felt.

"Hey, Chaeyoung" She heard the voice after school.

How did she find me?

The girl had gone to a different bathroom knowing the chances of bumping into Mina would decrease. But she had been proven wrong when the pretty girl stood before her wearing a worried smile.

"Hey" the girl muttered standing still.

Mina deeply inhaled nervously not knowing why she felt anxious, "So you have been avoiding me. Look Im sorry for whatever it is I did. Maybe I looked for you too much or bothered you a lot. I just really enjoy being your friend... that sounds weird. Sorry"

She felt horrible for making Mina feel sorry. Why do I care so fucking much?

"Im not avoiding you"

Then both knew it was a lie.

"It kind of seems like it" Mina quietly responded.

"I'm not" a lie "I'm just really caught up with basketball, it's kind of tiring, really."

"Hey Cub!" Ryujin approached them.

Mina's eyes widened averting her attention to her friend. The oldest brought her hand to her own mouth as if she was the one who said something she shouldn't have.

"I told you to stop calling me that" Chaeyoung said.

"You told her?!" Mina harshly whispered.

Ryujin loudly cackled throwing her head back "Yes! You were all like: sigh 'Don't you think Chaeyoung kind of looks like a cub? Like cute, you know? I think it's her eyes and the dimple'" she mimicked Mina by making her voice a higher pitch and resting her right cheek at the palm of her hand, "End scene. How'd I do?"

Mina felt incredibly embarrassed, her face had turned red, "Horrible. I don't even sound like that! I'll pick you up, bye"

The two girls watched her walk away with quick feet before Ryujin bursted out laughing. Chaeyoung couldn't help but feel a bit flushed herself. She lowered her head biting her lip to prevent her smile from growing so visibly wide. The way Mina became shy was endearing.

Practice ended and Chaeyoung was a sweating hot mess. They ran through plays and ended with a scrimmage. Coach had them rotate positions in order to figure out which one each player was better off with. She wore a short sleeve throughout the week for practice and it felt odd every time she felt the fresh air against her bare arms.

"That's not what I said to Ryujin" Mina said to Chaeyoung on their way to her house, "She over did it"

"But I look like a cub to you" the girl felt comfortable enough to slightly tease.