young & wild | chaeyu

thirty-one ; icy

"Are you tired, Dubu?"

Dahyun, her eyes lacking their usual shine and muscles aching, nodded. "Yeah," she admitted in a sleepy mumble. It was quite late that night, but Momo and Dahyun had agreed to practice with each other extra to make up for slacking off the other day. Dahyun wanted to keep working hard, she really did, but her mind felt sluggish and her body slow.

The room's lights were on the dimmest setting, and the room seemed shadowy and calmer than normal. The single window showcasing a small view of the surrounding city was fully opened, the screen popped out so that the small outside breeze could flow into the often stuffy practice room. Dahyun shivered as a gust of wind tussled her brightly highlighted hair.

Momo's expression was unblinking, unreadable as she stood, watching Dahyun as though contemplating something to herself.. Dahyun wondered what she could be thinking. She had been doing that a lot lately. It felt as though Momo had put a great stone wall in between them, and all Dahyun wanted to do was find a path through it.

"Okay," Momo finally said. "It is pretty late by now."

Dahyun bit her lip worriedly, feeling much farther away from Momo than the several steps between them. She was a bit concerned by the way the older girl had spoken-- slowly and forlornly. "Are you okay?" she asked her softly.

Momo shrugged, but didn't say anything, pretty much confirming Dahyun's worries that she was not alright.

"You can talk to me, Momo," Dahyun reminded her. "Or we can keep dancing. It won't be long before the next monthly evaluation, you know."

Momo managed a halfhearted smile. "I'm not worried about that." She sat down on the practice room floor, right where she stood. Away from the walls and away from Dahyun. Outside, a car honked its horn from far away.

"I'm glad you're confident," ventured Dahyun uncertainly, following Momo's lead and taking a seat on the floor where she sat. Why am I being so awkward? Dahyun chided herself. It's Momo, just Momo.

Momo laughed, though it wasn't the same laugh that Dahyun had heard so many times in the time she had trained with Momo. "Not in me, Dubu. In you, of course."

Dahyun's heart jolted in her chest. Me? she thought to herself. "Why would you say that?" she asked, fumbling over her words like a nervous child doing a report in school.

"Because you've gotten so good at this," she told her softly. "Your dancing. And your singing is--" Momo cut herself off.

Dahyun felt another shiver down her spine, but this time she knew it wasn't from the wind. "My singing is what?"

Momo exhaled. "Your singing is so beautiful and attractive and lovely."

"O-oh." Dahyun looked down at her hands, trying to resist the sudden urge to smile. Her eyes curved into crescent moons at the genuine comment. "Thank you, Momo."

"Of course," Momo said, again back to her icy poker face. Dahyun wished she knew what was causing her to be so distant, but more than that, she wished she could fix it. Dahyun considered Momo one of her favorite people in the whole world, and she wished she could put that into words to tell the idol. Momo had inspired Dahyun when she was uncertain, and brought a smile to her face when no one else could. Without Momo to help her in time since she'd first watched her in a video, Dahyun might not be a fraction of the trainee she had become.

"I'm worried," Dahyun blurted out without thinking.

Momo tilted her head. "About?"

"You, Momo. What has made you so upset lately? You've been a lot quieter, and sadder," Dahyun spoke in a rush, hoping Momo wouldn't take offense.

Momo exhaled. "Am I that transparent?"

"I wouldn't say that. But I would say that I care about you enough to pay attention."

"I appreciate that."

"So, is there anything I can do? I'd do just about anything to make you happier, Momo. You've made me so much happier, I can at least try to return the favor."

Momo shook her head, though not without an airy chuckle. "Oh, Dubu. You're too nice too me." Momo's Japanese accent, usually just a twang in her tone, was thicker than normal.

"Don't be silly," breathed Dahyun, feeling that each word she spoke was a step close across the thinly frozen lake that was keeping them seperate. One wrong word, wrong step, and she'd be drowning in the ice cold waves.

Momo laughed softly, and didn't say anything in response. Her dark, entrancing eyes locked with Dahyun's own, studying her, piercing the younger girl and sending shivers down her spine. Even while upset on a late weeknight during dance practice, Momo still had the magnetic charisma of a true performer.

"Do you want to practice more?" ventured Dahyun uncertainly. "I'm rested enough to do well, I think."

The older girl shrugged, looking out towards the singular window. "I don't want to push us too hard. Injuries come from strain, and a bad injury can end a career even both it's began."

Dahyun nodded agreeingly, but she knew that wasn't why Momo didn't want to dance in that moment. There was something else bothering her, but Dahyun wasn't sure she should prod, or how much would be too much.

"You look so worried."

"I am," admitted Dahyun freely. "I'm just wondering what's got you so sad."

Momo sighed begrudging, though a small smile graced her lips. "I'm not sad, Dubu, just lost in my own head." She paused for a second, looking as though she was internally debating something. "Come here," she instructed, and Dahyun was quick to comply, sliding across the floor until she was sitting directly in front of Momo.

Dahyun's mouth felt dry, and her mind blank. She'd sat with Momo countless times, seen her countless times, and danced with her so much it was natural. But somehow, she still had butterflies in her stomach and felt light-headed at their closeness. At this point, Dahyun knew for sure that she had stronger feelings towards Momo than a fan does towards their idol.

"Now I'm the one worried about you," joked Momo lightly. "Why do you look so uncomfortable?"

"I'm not uncomfortable at all," Dahyun spoke too fast to be honest. But Momo looked a little more lively and cheerful, so Dahyun's embarrassment was worth it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," mumbled Momo dismissively. "You're so pretty, Dahyun."

The younger girl's eyes widened in surprise. "You too," she managed to say.

"Not going to lie," Momo said, so soft Dahyun strained to hear her, "You look very kissable right now."

A rush of adrenaline and bravery overcame Dahyun. "As do you."

Momo leaned in, Dahyun replicating her movement until the two of them could feel each other's breath against their skin.

"Can I?" murmured Momo for final confirmation.

"Yes," breathed Dahyun.

And then Momo was kissing Dahyun, softly and gently, all of their unspoken emotion coming to light in that one moment. Eyes closed, Dahyun, reached for Momo, her hand intertwining with the older girl's. It felt as though time was suspended, broken, still, for only that moment out of a thousand.

It was only a few seconds later that Momo pulled away, so lightly that it felt like Dahyun had been kissing a memory.

"Okay," exhaled Momo, not meeting Dahyun's eyes. "Ready to continue practice?"

Dahyun, still breathless, could only nod in agreement. 

a/n 31: who woulda thought dahmo would have a smooch scene before 2yeon and chaeyu tbh. i'm pretty proud of this chapter.

i wrote a part in my misc about my music taste if anyone is interestedddd :D what is a song you've liked lately that you think i should listen to?