paste you to the pages of my heart

Chapter Five

It takes Nayeon a full month before she decides on a course of action.

She will introduce Mina to Minji formally.

But not before she and her friends get reacquainted with Mina first.

They have five years to catch up on, and with her friends being staples in Minji's life, Nayeon doesn't want any awkwardness lingering among them.

She can at least try to be civil towards Mina despite... whatever she feels for her.

Nayeon hopes her friends can do more than the bare minimum of politeness. She's counting on Jihyo, Sana, and Dahyun on that one. Maybe Momo, too.

And while Nayeon already has a decision, it takes her another two—no, three days to actually send a message to Mina because it's apparently difficult to compose a message for an ex.

Hi, what's up? Too casual.

Mina. It's Nayeon. You can meet Minji on the condition that you'll meet me and her godmothers first. Too threatening.

You busy? What is Nayeon? A teenager talking to a friend?

In the end, Nayeon settles with, Hi. It's Nayeon. Are you available this Saturday? Me and the girls would like to meet with you.

To which Mina replies with a simple, Okay. Let me know the time.

It's easy. Way too easy in Nayeon's opinion and the niggling curiosity in the back of her mind about the reason why Mina seems so compliant and docile won't disappear.

It's not the Mina she used to know. She's quiet and reserved, yes, but not to the point that she's a pushover. Sure, she almost always bends to Nayeon's whims and whines—because, as Jeongyeon teasingly put it, she was whipped for Nayeon—but she knows when to put her foot down. But this version of Mina? It's strange and it makes Nayeon wary.

Still though, she has to prepare for their lunch out with Mina so Nayeon sets aside her concerns. For now.

Instead, what she worries about is who will babysit Minji when Nayeon and her friends meet with Mina. With six godmothers who are more than willing to take care of Minji whenever Nayeon is caught up with work, Nayeon never had the need to look for a babysitter. It's one of the few perks that comes with friends who all adore a cute toddler.

Luckily, Jisoo also loves kids and Jennie can never say no to Jisoo so they become Minji's babysitters for the afternoon that Nayeon arranged with Mina.

"Even after dinner is fine!" Jisoo insists when Nayeon drops off Minji. An offer Nayeon immediately declines because Jennie is glaring at her from behind her girlfriend's shoulder.

Knowing Jennie, she probably wants to spend time with Jisoo without a kid present.

With Minji taken care of, now Nayeon can mentally prepare herself for meeting Mina again.

She doesn't want a repeat of their first coincidental meeting.

With their friends present, Nayeon hopes that their Saturday lunch won't be awkward at all. She doesn't want any hostility between Mina and her friends. For Minji's sake.

But that goes out the window when they finally meet Mina outside the restaurant that she and Nayeon agreed to have lunch at.

The moment that Momo's eyes land on Mina, she begins stalking towards her before Dahyun or anyone else can react.

There's an unmistakable sound of a fist hitting a cheek and Nayeon belatedly realizes that Momo punched Mina.

Momo punched Mina.