Lost in your lens - NewJeans' Minji x M!Reader

Ch. 9 - Through Their Lens

Hyein

"THEY'RE BEING CUTE AGAIN!"

I try to whisper it, I really do, but Haerin's raised eyebrow tells me I've failed. Again. But how can anyone stay quiet when our favorite couple is being absolutely adorable in their usual corner of the café? Y/N is supposedly helping Minji sort through photos for her next exhibition, but they're mostly just making heart eyes at each other while pretending to be productive.

"Let them be," Haerin murmurs, not looking up from her book. But I catch the tiny smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She's just as invested as I am, even if she shows it differently.

It's been three weeks since the exhibition, since Operation Capture Love (yes, I'm still calling it that, no matter how much everyone groans) finally succeeded. Sometimes I still can't believe it took them so long. I mean, Minji literally spent an entire semester photographing Y/N while pretending she just happened to be pointing her camera in that direction every single time.

"Remember when she tried to convince us she was just 'documenting exchange student experiences'?" I giggle, stealing one of Danielle's cookies. She's been stress-baking less since the exhibition, but old habits die hard.

"Some of us were more convinced than others," Hanni comments dryly, scrolling through her phone. She's probably adding to her collection of candid shots of the happy couple – her own version of Minji's hidden folder. For posterity, she claims. For blackmail, we suspect.

Danielle

The kitchen has always been my safe space. There's something comforting about the precision of measurements, the certainty of chemical reactions between ingredients. When I'm anxious, I bake. When I'm happy, I bake. When our friends are being ridiculously in love across the café, I bake.

"Try this new recipe," I say, placing a plate of lavender shortbread on our table. "I'm thinking of adding it to the regular rotation."

"Regular rotation of what?" Y/N asks, finally dragged away from their corner by the smell of fresh cookies. Minji follows, her camera hanging forgotten around her neck. That's new – she used to raise it like a shield when she was nervous. Now it's just an accessory, not a barrier.

"Her stress-baking schedule," Hyein explains through a mouthful of shortbread. "Though I guess she needs a new name for it now that she's not stress-baking about you two anymore."

"Joy-baking?" Minji suggests, reaching for a cookie. Her other hand finds Y/N's naturally, like magnetism.

"Happiness cookies!" Hyein declares, too loud again. "CELEBRATION SWEETS!"

"Inside-" Haerin starts.

"I KNOW, I KNOW!"

Haerin

People think I'm quiet because I'm shy. Really, I just prefer to observe. Like how Minji's photos have changed since she started dating Y/N – less focused on capturing perfect moments, more interested in preserving real ones. Or how Y/N has stopped checking their phone during conversations, fully present in a way they never were during those first lonely weeks.

"What are you thinking about?" Hanni asks softly, catching my contemplative look.

"Growth," I answer simply. She nods, understanding.

We're all growing, really. Hyein's learning to modulate her volume (sometimes). Danielle's baking from joy instead of anxiety. Hanni's dance performances are more confident now that she has her own personal cheer squad. And me? I'm learning that sometimes the quiet observers need to speak up – like that day I mentioned Minji's hidden folder of photos.