What are we?

8

The insistent buzzing of Jeongyeon's phone tore through the fragile veil of sleep, dragging her back to the harsh reality of the clock. 5:00 AM. A guttural groan escaped her lips as she reached for the offending device, ready to unleash a torrent of sleep-deprived fury. But then, a jolt of summer vacation bliss shot through her. No more soul-crushing early mornings, no more relentless teachers droning on about things she wouldn't remember anyway. A genuine smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Except, the smile faltered quicker than a hummingbird's heartbeat. Summer vacation also meant less Nayeon. Nayeon, her sunshine, her confidante, the melody that danced in her heart. But it also meant more Mina.

And more Mina felt like a slow, simmering torture. There it was, the truth she desperately tried to shove down. Feelings. Feelings she shouldn't have.

Guilt gnawed at her. Nayeon, her Nayeon, the girl she loved fiercely, the girl she'd spent years patiently courting. Jeongyeon would do anything for Nayeon. But here she was, heart stuttering a traitorous rhythm whenever Mina was near.

Jeongyeon stole a glance at Mina's bed across the room. Even asleep, the moonlight cast an ethereal glow on the younger girl's face, highlighting the delicate curve of her jaw and the impossibly long lashes resting against her cheeks. Jeongyeon swallowed hard. How could someone look so heartbreakingly beautiful, even unconscious?

Jeongyeon had fought this unwelcome infatuation with the tenacity of a lioness protecting her cubs. She buried herself in textbooks at the library, the scent of old paper and forgotten knowledge. She pushed her body to its limits in the football field, the ache in her muscles a dull throb compared to the turmoil in her heart. But the harder she fought, the stronger the pull towards Mina became.

And then there was Bambam, a persistent thorn in Jeongyeon's side. He practically followed Mina around like a lovesick puppy with a permanent case of puppy dog eyes. Jeongyeon knew his feelings for Mina were as transparent as a cheap windowpane. The sight of him draped over Mina's chair, his goofy grin making her insides twist with a possessiveness she couldn't explain, only fanned the flames of her already simmering jealousy.

But Nayeon. Nayeon, with her infectious laugh and the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled, or when she looks at her with those loving eyes that she she yeared for years. Jeongyeon couldn't bear the thought of betraying that love, that trust, of throwing away years of unspoken promises for a confusing tangle of emotions towards Mina.

Jeongyeon rolled out of bed, the movement heavy with the weight of indecision. The air in the room felt thick and suffocating, a microcosm of the turmoil raging inside her. Stealing one last glance at the sleeping beauty across the room, Jeongyeon knew this summer stretched before her like an uncharted map, filled with treacherous paths and exhilarating detours.

-

Jeongyeon found a note at the kitchen table, it was from her mom.

'There's food in the fridge reheat them when you get hungry.'

Jeongyeon’s lips twitched into a small, wry smile. Stuck with Mina, then. It was practically a love language in their house – their mom’s hurried messages a testament to her ever-growing tteokbokki business. The once-daily ritual of Jeongyeon and Mina helping out at the stall, faces flushed from the heat of the grill and the laughter of satisfied customers, had become a distant memory. Now, with extra pairs of hands finally lightening the load, Jeongyeon, the soon-to-be senior with college applications looming, and Mina, her perpetually sunshine-y younger sister, were left to fend for themselves more often than not. No more spontaneous dashes to the stall after school for a plate of steaming rice cakes, the spicy sauce clinging to their fingers like a badge of honor.