Dancing in the dark

Chapter 19

"Minayah, I looked everywhere." Chaeyoung yelled, looking up from one of the bags they'd brought back from the shopping mall. "I can't find the wok."

Mina walked to the living room and pointed at a bag that was right before Chaeyoung. "Look in that."

Chaeyoung gave her a sheepish grin when her hands pulled out the wok from inside the bag.

"I swear I looked in here before." Chaeyoung handed the wok to Mina who shook her head with a smile.

A scuffle from one of the rooms at the dorm drew their attention.

Jihyo's loud voice boomed from behind the door, "Nayeon!! Jeongyeon!! Stop right this minute!"

"I called dibs on the bed next to the window." Nayeon defended herself as she grabbed Jeongyeon's collar and shook her.

Jeongyeon rolled her around, shoving Nayeon back against the floor. "How old are you? Two? You can't call dibs on things."

Jihyo tried to drag Jeongyeon away but the taller girl was too strong for her.

"Jeongyeon," Mina demanded softly as the girl aimed a blow at Nayeon, "Stop fighting please."

Jeongyeon nodded and immediately got off Nayeon.

Nayeon got off the floor, giving Jeongyeon a mocking smile which annoyed the taller girl.

"Nayeon-chan," Mina turned to her and fixed her with a warm gaze, "Please let Jeongyeon have the bed by the window."

Jeongyeon returned the mocking smile to Nayeon when she reluctantly agreed with Mina.

"How did you do that?" Jihyo asked, looking at Mina with awe and wonder.

Mina gave a pat on her cheeks, offering a simple explanation, "I have an eight year old living with me."

The girls got busier and busier over the next few months as their fame and popularity grew and multiplied.

Mina wished she could spend more time with them but she had projects lined up and more came knocking at her door with each passing day.

"I think I saw more of you when I was a thousand miles away in Korea." Nayeon told her one day over the phone.

Nayeon received a letter by post the next day.

Dear Nayeon-chan,
I miss you too.
Yours,
Mina.

Nayeon had to fight off a smile on her face the rest of the day.

"What are you getting my sister for her 21st birthday?" Ari demanded when she got into Nayeon's car.

Nayeon had offered to pick the kid up after school because Mina was held up in a shoot.

"Well, hi to you too Ari." Nayeon chuckled, patting the child's head playfully. "Can't tell you."

Ari gave her a glance that reminded Nayeon so much of Mina. She sighed, "Fine, don't make that face. I'll tell you."

Ari clapped and squealed when Nayeon told her what she had planned.

"Promise me you won't tell her." Nayeon demanded.

Ari offered her the little finger giving her a wide grin, "Pinky promise."

Tzuyu looked at the girls arguing over which of them should pick Mina up after the shoot.

"I should go, because I won't blabber." Sana exclaimed.

"Everyone knows I'm the best at keeping secrets." Dahyun insisted.

"Yah shut up." Jihyo was at her wit's ends with the girls. "Chaeyoung, you pick Mina up. Jeongyeon, you pick Ari up. The rest of you are going to help Nayeon and me set everything up."

When Mina walked into the rooftop restaurant with Ari, Nayeon held an umbrella open for her.

"It's not raining Nayeon-chan." Mina laughed softly.

Nayeon's eyes twinkled as she snapped her fingers.

Within a moment, sprinklers opened up, laser lights hit the night sky, speakers roared to life, creating an illusion of rainfall and thunderstorm in the open terrace.

"Happy birthday Minayah." Nayeon whispered to the younger girl.

Mina's eyes glistened as she looked at the older girl.

I love rain and thunderstorms, but it never seems to happen on my birthday, She told the girls one day when it rained around them.

"You remembered." She half sobbed the words out.

Nayeon smiled. "Of course I did."

The girls enjoyed a delicious meal under a tent they'd made, the fake rainfall falling all around them.

"Nayeon-tan," Ari gave the older girl a conspiratorial smile, "Told you I could keep a secret."

"That's why I love you kid." Nayeon tickled her, until she squealed at her to stop.

Mina picked at her food, throwing a fond smile in their direction.