Inevitable x Michaeng

College Life

Chaeyoung leaves first.

Mina stands in the low grass of Chaeyoung's lawn. Junghoon is already packed into the backseat with a pouch of apple juice and a handful of crayons to keep him entertained, Chaeyoung's mom is fiddling with the radio in the driver's seat, printed out directions resting on the dash, gas tank full.

The passenger door is propped open, waiting for Chaeyoung to sit down, buckle up, and start the long drive to Incheon. But right now her arms are wrapped around Mina's neck, face buried in her shoulder. Mina's arms are fitted tight around the small of Chaeyoung's back, her hand stroking at her waist to comfort the nervous shivers that have seemed to seize Chaeyoung's body.

"It will be okay," Mina whispers against Chaeyoung's temple, puckering her lips to press a kiss there, "We will talk all the time, nothing even has to change."

"I'm not worried," Chaeyoung grumbles into Mina's shoulder, but she is still shivering these small shudders and her grip on Mina does not loosen.

"I know you're not," Mina murmurs, pressing even closer, humming softly as Chaeyoung burrows deeper into the fabric of her shirt, "There isn't even anything to worry about." She rocks back and forth still hanging on tightly, tilting them just a bit too far until Chaeyoung rights them with a quiet laugh.

Mina grins in return and pulls away so she can meet Chaeyoung's eyes, brush a hand down the slope of her cheek. She admires the brave set of Chaeyoung's mouth, the pout that hides just behind the curve of her top lip.

"You are going to have so much fun," she says, squeezing Chaeyoung's waist, "there will be so many cool people," she rocks in closer, "so many cool girls."

The tips of Chaeyoung's ears burns red and she glances at her mom in the car before looking back at Mina and glaring, "Shut up," she says and there is a little more of a frown around the corner of Chaeyoung's mouth than Mina was expecting. Mina studies her hard for a second, wondering where in the conversation she went wrong. She tries again, regaining her hold on Chaeyoung's hips.

"But there aren't going to be any best friends like me, so don't go looking."

Chaeyoung rolls her eyes but she is smiling again, "I wouldn't dream of it," she says, a trace more sincerity than usual in her clear deadpan.

"Girls," Chaeyoung's mom calls as she looks up from the radio, "we are going to need to get going if we want to get there in time for today's orientation."

"Okay," Chaeyoung calls back, clearing her throat and looking down at her feet, loosening her hold around Mina's neck. She looks back up, catching at Mina's eyes with her earnest, deep gaze and serious, strong jaw. Mina stares and stares and stares, trying to memorize every angle and line of her friend. Just looking at Chaeyoung makes Mina want to grab her by the hand and start running back to her house where they would barricade themselves in Mina's room, never again speaking about things like "college" and "growing up."

There is an empty hollow of missing her that already catches in Mina's chest, though she still stands right in front of her. Mina longs to smear charcoal over the high arch of Chaeyoung's cheekbones, across the whorl of her fingerprints and the bow of her lips. To mark every exposed stretch of Chaeyoung's skin so that when Chaeyoung touches Mina she will find the physical traces of it on her body later, a reminder of her friend that will last after Chaeyoung leaves Mina here on this green summer lawn.

"I'll miss you," Chaeyoung says, trying for a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I already do," Mina says, standing frozen in their half embrace. Chaeyoung raises her head in a half nod, swallowing hard before she catches Mina's face between warm palms, nudging kisses into the rounds of Mina's cheeks, onto her beauty marks and the dimple of her chin.