with You

Bring It Back

The practice room was quiet that afternoon, save for the familiar hum of TWICE's songs playing over the speakers. Momo and Mina had the place to themselves, and for once, it felt like the rest of the world had faded away. With schedules constantly filling up, they rarely got the chance to spend this kind of time together, just the two of them. Today, though, they'd promised to go through old routines and polish the choreography for Misamo's upcoming comeback, and the relaxed, easy atmosphere brought back memories of their trainee days, long before fame changed their lives forever.

Mina stretched her arms above her head, letting out a content sigh as she glanced over at Momo. Momo was humming along to the beat, her eyesclosed, swaying to the rhythm with a smile tugging at her lips. For some reason, seeing her like that always made Mina's heart skip a beat. She tried to brush it off, but it had been that way for a longtime—a quiet feeling, a soft comfort that came from being around Momo. Whatever the feeling, she knew she loved her in more ways than she could count, down to the smallest details.

"Ready to start?" Momo asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah!" Mina grinned, pushing away the odd flutter in her chest. They launched into the dance for "Do Not Touch," flowing through each move like second nature. The mirrors in the room looking as clear as ever. Their steps mirrored each other perfectly, movements in sync, and without thinking, they smiled at each other every time their eyes met.

By the time they shifted to their new track, "Identity," Mina was laughing and out of breath, her cheeks flushed from the workout. Momo joined her, falling back onto the floor with a playful sigh. "We make that look way too easy," she joked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Mina nodded, lying down beside her. There was something about these quiet moments with Momo that felt... different. Sure, she was close with all the members—she loved them like family. But with Momo, it was deeper, an unspoken connection that always pulled her in. She could never quite explain it, but she didn't need to. Just being close to Momo made her feel understood in ways words couldn't touch.

Momo shifted, turning her head to face Mina, her eyes soft as she took a deep breath. "Hey, Mina," she began hesitantly, trying to keep her tone casual. "Can I... ask you something?"

"Of course," Mina replied, smiling warmly. "What's up?"

Momo paused, the air around them suddenly feeling heavier. "It's about your boyfriend," she said slowly, avoiding Mina's gaze. "Reiji. I was just curious... what's he like?"

Mina's heart skipped, and she felt an odd pang of nerves, the kind that hadn't been there before. She forced herself to keep her face relaxed, her smile steady, even as Momo's question caught her off guard. She wasn't sure why, but talking about Reiji with Momo felt...complicated, as if she were opening a part of herself she hadn't intended to share.

"Oh,Reiji? He's..." She trailed off, searching for words. "He'sreally kind. Gentle, I guess? He has this calming energy." She smiled faintly, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger."He makes me feel at ease."

Momo nodded, still looking thoughtful. "Sounds like he's... good for you," she said, though her voice was just a little too even, a hint of tension lacing her words. "But, I mean, he doesn't know you like we do, right?"

Mina felt her pulse quicken, a strange sensation she couldn't ignore. "I guess not," she replied, trying to keep her tone light. "But he's getting there."

They fell into silence, the hidden words between them feeling almost tangible. Mina had always known that Momo was special to her, a safe space she could always fall back on. There was something about Momo that drew her in, a closeness that ran deeper than friendship. In some unopened corner of her heart, she knew she felt things for Momo that went beyond what she felt for anyone else, even Reiji. But she'dnever admitted it out loud, not even to herself. Instead, she kept her feelings locked away, guarding them carefully, as if exposing them would shatter something precious between them.

For a moment, it felt like they might say something more, might cross that nerving threshold. But then Momo looked away, letting out a soft laugh. "Sorry for asking so much. I just want to make sure...you're happy."

Mina smiled, touched by Momo's words. "Thanks, Momo. That means a lot to me." She reached over, giving Momo's hand a quick squeeze. It was a small gesture, but it felt like her way of saying everything she couldn't put into words—that Momo was important to her, that she cared about her more than anyone realized.

Momo forced a smile, though inside, she felt her heart ache. She was trying to be supportive, trying to understand, but every word Mina said about Reiji only made her feel more out of place. But she didn'twant Mina to see her struggle, didn't want her to know how deep her feelings really ran.

Later that evening, as Momo sat alone in her room, she couldn't shake the image of Mina's smile as she talked about Reiji. Her feelings felt like a weight pressing on her chest, impossible to ignore. She pulled out her laptop again, opening a search window and typing in Reiji's name. This time, her focus was sharp, driven by something she couldn't name.

Scrolling through his photos and interviews, Momo clenched her fists, determined not to let go of what she felt for Mina. She knew shecouldn't replace the comfort Mina found with Reiji, but she wasn'tready to release that to her just yet.

All of sudden, Momo's phone vibrates at her side with a more than familiar name with a text notification.

"Practice was fun today! I missed when we danced together like that." 'Mitang' along with a green heart and penguin emoji displayed on the screen.

Momo grabbed her phone and replied, "I missed that too. You amaze me at how much you can remember our dances—" she paused, then deleted that part of the message.

"I missed that too. We should do that again when we have time."

A better Momo response.

For the rest of the night, the girls texted until one of stopped, most likely because of falling asleep. Like the good old days, where nothing mattered except the secrets they've shared with each other. Even if she didn't show it around the other members, Momo adores Mina to pieces and has always felt the need to take care of her, even though Mina is usually the one who takes care of Momo. These girls have created an irrefutable relationship over the last decade. One that can't be broken by one new person.

Deep down, Momo believes this to be true. Her jealous nature would only be hidden until it needed to react. With Mina's new boyfriend, this was one of the moments where she was afraid it would unleash.