Chapter 5

The elevator ride down is… quiet.

Like, painfully quiet.

Nayeon stands with her back against the wall, one hand wrapped loosely around her phone, the other gripping her lunch bag. Her brain, for once, is absolutely empty—which is impressive, considering the absolute circus that just happened upstairs.

She glances sideways. Mina is staring straight ahead, eyes unfocused, shoulders slumped like her soul briefly left her body and hasn’t fully returned yet. Then Mina lets out the biggest sigh known to humankind—deep, dramatic, the kind of sigh that sounds like it came from someone who just survived a natural disaster.

Yep. She’s relieved. Honestly? Nayeon thinks the lunch went pretty well. Nobody cried. Nobody spilled food. No one openly confessed feelings at the table. By corporate lunch standards, that’s a win.

Her thoughts drift—unfortunately—back upstairs. Momo. God. Momo was hot. Like… undeniably hot.

Nayeon hadn’t been expecting that. At all. The confidence, the quiet intensity, the way she stood close to Mina like it was second nature. And don’t even get her started on Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon.

Just thinking about her makes Nayeon’s head spin a little, and she hates that she notices it. There was something about her—something different. The effortless charm. The dumb persistence. The way her dark brown hair fell just slightly into her face. The suit—blazer, button-up, dress pants—tailored just enough to hint at her figure without screaming for attention.

Annoying. Attractive. Unfortunately… very much her type. Nayeon would never say that out loud though.

The elevator dings. They made it back to their floor, the fourth floor. The doors slide open, and Mina practically stumbles out like she’s escaping a hostage situation. Nayeon follows, adjusting her bag, clearing her throat as they walk toward their cubicles. “Well,” she says casually, breaking the silence, “you weren’t lying about Momo.”

Mina doesn’t even look at her. Just rolls her eyes. “Yeah. Like I told you. I don’t make shit up.”

“I mean,” Nayeon shrugs, “she was pretty hot.”

Mina snorts. “I know.”

They round the corner—and there’s Chaeyoung, already back at her desk, sipping her drink like she’s been waiting for this exact moment. She looks up slowly. Smiles. “Oh,” she says. “You two survived.”

Mina drops into her chair. “Barely.”

Nayeon sets her bag down, glancing between them. “Your girl’s intense.”

Chaeyoung raises a brow. “Really now? What happened?”

Mina groans, burying her face in her hands. And just like that, Nayeon knows—Yeah. This is only getting started. Chaeyoung leans forward slightly, eyes narrowing with that sharp tell me everything or I will find out myself look.

Silence stretches. Heavy. Awkward.

“Oh, come on,” Chaeyoung presses, voice low but teasing. “So… how did it go? The lunch?”

Mina glances at Nayeon, immediately trying to pass responsibility. “Well… tell her.”

Nayeon blinks. “Why me??”

Mina gives her a look. Seriously? Then sighs loudly.

“It… it went fine, I guess,” Mina finally mutters. “But it was… I don’t know… stupid.”

“Stupid?” Chaeyoung tilts her head. “That’s not a real answer.”

Before Mina can spiral further, Nayeon jumps in. “I think it went really well,” she says quickly. “Like—actually good. They’re probably gonna do a proposal together, get something started between floors—” She smiles, trying to sell it. “Yeah. It went well.”

Mina turns to her like she just watched a magic trick. Chaeyoung leans back slowly, arms crossing. “…Mm-hmm. Sure.” A beat passes. “But no. Something else happened.” She leans forward again. “What actually happened up there?”

Nayeon throws her hands up. “I’m telling you—it was fine!”

Mina stares at her. “I can’t believe you…”

“What?” Nayeon snaps, already defensive.

“You were literally flirting with Momo’s colleague Jeongyeon the whole time!”

Nayeon freezes. A blush creeps up her neck. Chaeyoung leans in, eyes lighting up. “Oh??”

“Flirting?” Nayeon scoffs, rolling her eyes. “If anything, she was flirting with me. So let’s be real here.”

Mina just stares at her, incredulous. Nayeon leans forward now, pointing slightly. “And also—why are you ganging up on me right now??”

Mina blinks. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are,” Nayeon cuts in. “You barely said two words that entire lunch.”

Chaeyoung snorts. Mina turns to her. “Hey—”

“Oh?” Chaeyoung says, smirking. “Tell me more.”

Mina groans. “I was not. She’s exaggerating Chae. I was just—observing.”

“Observing?” Nayeon repeats. “Girl, you were startled by Momo the whole lunch, barely saying shit and spacing out while eating.”

“I was not startled—”

“You kept jumping everytime she talked to you, and you used me as a buffer,” Nayeon says flatly.

Silence hits them. Chaeyoung’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh my god, you really DID.”

Mina’s face heats up instantly. “Hey! You we’re supposed to come at first Chae! I did not—”

“You absolutely did,” Nayeon continues. “You barely said shit, and pulled me into the conversation to cover for you and sat there like—” she mimes awkwardly staring at nothing.

Chaeyoung laughs. Mina looks between them, betrayed. “You guys are so annoying.”

“No, you’re just awkward,” Nayeon shoots back. “And it’s actually insane.”

Mina crosses her arms. “I’m not that awkward.”

“You are with her,” Nayeon says immediately.

That lands. Mina falters for half a second. Nayeon leans in, eyes narrowing. “You had the confidence to get freaky with Momo as a stranger that night in that bathroom,” she mutters, low but sharp, “but now you can’t even hold a conversation with her?”

“NAYEON—” Mina hisses, mortified.

Chaeyoung’s eyes widen, scratching her cheek bit. “I mean, well—”

Mina covers her face. “Oh my god.”

“You need to grow a pair,” Nayeon continues, unfazed. “Because what was that today??”

Chaeyoung finally cuts in, laughing. “Okay, okay—ease up on her a bit.” She nudges Nayeon’s arm. “It was her first time actually sitting down with her. That’s different.”

Mina nods quickly. “Thank you.”

“And it was last minute,” Chaeyoung adds. “At least Momo called and set it up. That counts for something.”

Mina relaxes slightly. Nayeon leans back, still annoyed. “I’m just saying. Don’t drag me into it when you were the one panicking. I don’t want to be a buffer like that again.”

Mina mutters, “I was not panicking…”

Chaeyoung hums, unconvinced. Mina is a mess. Then—she turns to Nayeon. “So.” A smirk spreads slowly. “Jeongyeon….”

Nayeon freezes again. “…What about her?”

“Oh, don’t do that,” Chaeyoung says, leaning in. “So you were flirting….huh?”

“I was not—”

“You were,” Mina says immediately.

Nayeon looks at her like really? Chaeyoung grins wider. “So who is she?”

Nayeon groans, dropping back into her chair. “Oh my god, here we go.”

“Tell me everything,” Chaeyoung says, delighted now.

Nayeon grabs a random pen off her desk, fidgeting with it aggressively. “It’s nothing.”

“That means it’s something,” Chaeyoung replies.

Mina nods. “It’s definitely something.”

Nayeon glares at both of them. “You guys are so annoying. It was nothing.”

But her ears are still a little red. And Chaeyoung? She’s already locked in. “Oh, I’m finding out,” she says, smiling.

Mina’s eyes narrow at Nayeon, disbelief written all over her face. “I just can’t believe you right now…”

“What?” Nayeon asks, genuinely confused.

“You were just flirting with her the whole time,” Mina blurts out.

Nayeon freezes mid-breath. She can feels more blush creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks, her ears warming. Chaeyoung leans in even closer now, a smirk tugging at her lips, and just stares. The room suddenly feels like it’s holding its breath.

“Can you just drop it Mina!? God!” Nayeon says, rolling her eyes.

Mina just stares at her, incredulous.

“Hey, look,” Nayeon continues, leaning towards her, “this isn’t my first rodeo, okay? People have flirted with me before here at work. Maybe it’s a little entertaining to flirt back. Nothing more than that. You guys already know my rule—I don’t mess with anybody here at work, and I never will.”

Mina’s jaw drops. “Seriously? So Jeongyeon was flirting with you and you flirted back?”

Nayeon shrugs, laughing lightly like it’s nothing. “Yes. We were just talking, okay? Saying words. It wasn’t that serious.” She waves a hand dismissively. “And all I did was give her my email when we left, Mina. That’s it. That girl was practically fishing for my number—I wasn’t about to give that. I don’t even know her!” A beat. “And besides,” she adds, a little too quickly, “it doesn’t even matter. I doubt she’s even gonna email me.”

Mina stares at her. Unimpressed.

Nayeon avoids eye contact, suddenly very interested in adjusting something on her desk. “Honestly,” she continues, doubling down, “the lunch went really well. So maybe focus on your collaboration with Momo instead of whatever this is.”

Silence hits them. Mina’s eyes narrow more. Chaeyoung tilts her head slightly, watching her with a slow, knowing look.

“…You’re lying,” Chaeyoung says flatly.

Nayeon snaps her head up. “I am not—”

“You are,” Mina cuts in immediately. “You’re doing that thing.”

“What thing?”

“That thing where you act like you don’t care when you very clearly do.”

Chaeyoung hums in agreement. “Yeah. You’re overexplaining a lot.”

Nayeon scoffs, crossing her arms. “I am not overexplaining. I’m explaining a normal situation, that’s all.”

“Right,” Chaeyoung says. “Because people who don’t care always bring it up three extra times.”

“Mina is the one who keeps bringing it up! Not me!” Nayeon huffs.

Mina leans back slightly, studying Nayeon. “…You really do like her. You liked flirting with Jeongyeon.”

Nayeon glares at both of them. “You guys are actually fucking insane.”

But she doesn’t deny it. And that says enough.

Chaeyoung leans in towards mina, smirking. “WOW….sounds like it was a total shit show lunch.”

Nayeon rolls her eyes hearing it, Chaeyoung continues anyways holding back a laugh, her hand goes over her stomach like she just got stabbed. “But, as long as everyone’s okay, and you know, Mina—you can collaborate with Momo now….. Everything should be fine, right?”

Mina fidgets, still uneasy. “Yeah… but I just don’t want to get embarrassed or anything.”

Nayeon scoffs. “Embarrassed? Please. Nobody was embarrassed. If anything, Momo looked embarrassed because of Jeongyeon and how she was acting. I barely did anything up there. Again, just drop it already.”

Chaeyoung chuckles, Mina pouts and the conversation ends there. Nothing more is said. Soon enough, all three of them settle back into their desks, slipping into the usual routine—emails, random phone calls, spreadsheets, Word documents. Same old corporate purgatory.

Out of nowhere, Nayeon’s inbox pings. She immediately clicks over. She’s never been the type to let emails pile up—seeing unread notifications stack up gives her hives. One glance at the sender and she freezes.

It’s Jeongyeon. Her stomach does a weird little jitter. She checks the subject line: Possible Collaboration.

She blinks. Then checks the time on her computer. It hasn’t even been a fucking hour. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she mutters under her breath.

The email itself is painfully professional—bullet points, polite phrasing, zero grammatical errors—but there’s just enough something in the tone to make her squint.

Not outright flirty. Just… charming. Effortlessly so. Like Jeongyeon knew exactly where the line was and stood there on purpose. Nayeon leans back in her chair, exhaling through her nose.

Oh, this girl is dangerous.

She feels a stupid little thrill anyway, which only pisses her off more. Her fingers hover over the keyboard, then stops. Instinctively, she glances toward Mina’s cubicle, half-tempted to pop her head over and say something.

But she already knows how that would go. Mina would spiral. Chaeyoung would smirk. And worst of all—it would mean Nayeon was wrong. About the flirting. About it “not being a big deal.”

God. This was dumb. All of it. With a sharp click, she closes the email. No reply. Not yet. She lets it sit there, unread and unanswered, like it didn’t just completely derail her mood.

Nayeon turns back to her screen and forces herself to work, jaw tight, tapping her pen against the desk.

This situation is so fucking stupid, she thinks.

And somehow, that makes it worse.

——-

“You know you embarrassed me today, right!?”

Momo’s voice cuts through the air, sharp and irritated—but Jeongyeon barely registers it. She’s still staring at her screen, watching the sent confirmation sit there like a trophy.

Delivered.

She doesn’t look up. Doesn’t flinch.

“Hey,” Momo snaps, leaning over the cubicle wall. “Are you even listening to me, asshole!? What the fuck are you doing!?”

Jeongyeon finally glances sideways at her, unimpressed. “What?”

“I’m asking what you are doing Jeong,” Momo shoots back.

Jeongyeon shrugs, clicking her mouse. “Working.”

Momo scoffs. “That is total bullshit.” She leans closer, squinting at the screen. “What is that? Is that a—” Her eyes widen. “Is that a fucking email?”

Jeongyeon smirks. “Yeah. Just sent one to Nayeon.”

Momo looks like the world just ended. “You did what??” she hisses. “Jeongyeon, are you fucking crazy? Did you seriously just email her?”

“Yeah,” Jeongyeon says easily.

Momo frantically checks the time on her phone. “It hasn’t even been a fucking hour.”

Jeongyeon tilts her head. “Okay… and?”

That almost breaks Momo. Jeongyeon bites back a laugh. She can’t help it. Momo’s spiraling, and meanwhile, she’s perfectly fine. More than fine, actually. She leans back in her chair, hands behind her head, satisfied.

She knows exactly what she did. She stirred the pot—on purpose.

Nayeon was hot. Not just pretty—hot in that effortless, dangerous way. Sharp tongue. Confident posture. That look in her eyes like she knew exactly what she was doing and didn’t care who noticed.

And yeah, something definitely woke up in Jeongyeon. That small, annoying stir in her chest. The kind that makes you curious. The kind that makes you reckless. The kind that makes you send an email thirty minutes after lunch just to see what happens.

She glances back at her inbox, half-expecting a reply already. Nothing yet. Jeongyeon grins anyway. She wanted more—and now, at least, the door was cracked open.

“You are such a fucking loser, you know that?” Momo groans, dragging a hand down her face like she’s physically exhausted by Jeongyeon’s existence. “God damn it!”

Jeongyeon bites the inside of her cheek, clearly fighting a laugh. “Wow. That’s harsh.”

“It’s accurate,” Momo snaps. “Jeong, this is not how you go about things.”

Jeongyeon turns in her chair, genuinely confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Momo says, voice rising, “you met this girl—what—forty minutes ago? And you’re already emailing her?”

Jeongyeon shrugs. “Yeah?”

“And the shit you pulled during lunch?” Momo adds. “Jesus.”

“What shit?” Jeongyeon asks, offended. “Lunch went perfectly fine.”

Momo stares at her like she’s just said something deeply stupid. “That is total bullshit. That lunch was a mess.”

Jeongyeon scoffs. “You’re being dramatic.”

“No the fuck I’m not.”

There’s a pause. Then Jeongyeon smirks. “I will admit,” she says casually, leaning back in her chair, “you picked a good one. Mina’s pretty cute.”

Momo exhales through her nose, already annoyed. She doesn’t respond. Jeongyeon tilts her head, watching her. “She’s a quiet one though.” Still nothing. “Like… really quiet,” she continues. “I don’t think she said more than five words to you the entire lunch.”

Momo finally looks at her. “She talked.”

Jeongyeon raises a brow. “Did she?”

“She did,” Momo snaps. “She’s just—reserved.”

Jeongyeon lets out a laugh. “Reserved? Momo, she looked like she was about to pass out every time you spoke to her.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true,” Jeongyeon presses, grinning now. “You’d say something and she’d go—” she straightens up stiffly, widening her eyes in an exaggerated impression, “—’Oh. Uh. Yeah.'”

Momo shoves her shoulder. “Stop.”

“I’m serious!” Jeongyeon laughs, nudging her back. “She flinched at you like three times.”

“She did not flinch.”

“She did flinch.”

“She’s just not comfortable yet,” Momo shoots back. “It was the first time for us meeting like this.”

Jeongyeon leans in slightly, voice dropping just enough to be annoying. “Or…”

Momo narrows her eyes. “Don’t.”

“…she’s scared of you.”

Momo’s expression immediately hardens. “She’s not scared of me.”

Jeongyeon grins wider. “Momo. She looked terrified.”

“She was not terrified.”

“She was fighting for her life.”

“Jeongyeon.”

“She was blinking SOS—”

Momo grabs a crumpled sticky note off her desk and throws it at her. “Shut up!”

Jeongyeon dodges, laughing. “I’m just saying—maybe tone it down. You came on strong.”

“I did not come on strong!”

“You absolutely did,” Jeongyeon says, still laughing. “Meanwhile I’m having a perfectly normal conversation—”

Momo turns on her instantly. “Oh my god, don’t even start.”

Jeongyeon smirks. “What?”

“You were flirting.”

“I was not—”

“You were flirting.”

“She flirted with me.”

Momo lets out a sharp laugh. “And you folded immediately.”

Jeongyeon scoffs, but there’s a hint of a smile she’s trying to hide. “Please. I had it under control.”

“Yeah,” Momo mutters, turning back to her computer. “You looked real in control asking for her number like an idiot.”

“Hey! At least I tried and got her email—”

“You looked like a dumbass. You embarrassed me.”

Jeongyeon leans over, shoving her lightly. “It was a win. At least I can handle eye contact. Your girl can’t even look at you without glitching.”

Momo shoves her back harder this time. “Leave mina alone.”

Jeongyeon laughs, sitting back in her chair again. “Relax. I like her.” A beat. Then, casually— “And her friend Nayeon is really, really hot.”

Momo shoots her a look. “She is.” A pause. Then, flat: “And you’re still fucking stupid.”

Jeongyeon laughs. “For what? Liking someone?”

“No,” Momo says sharply. “For not knowing how to wait.”

Jeongyeon tilts her head. “Wait for what? You didn’t wait with meeting Mina, you just went right up to her.”

That one lands. Momo’s cheeks warm instantly. “That’s different.”

Jeongyeon raises an eyebrow. “How?” She squints her eyes at her. “You barely know Mina too.”

The space between them starts to get a bit tense. Momo folds her arms. “Yeah, but I’m not doing… whatever the FUCK you are doing. I’m taking things slow.”

Jeongyeon snorts. “Slow? That’s the least of your worries with her.”

Momo reaches out and pinches her arm. “Look. I know you. I know what you’re doing.”

That get’s a reaction out of her. Jeongyeon frowns. “What the fuck are you trying to say?”

“You know exactly what I’m saying,” Momo replies. “You always go all in! Zero patience!”

Jeongyeon’s face heats up. “Can you keep your voice down? Do you want us fired?”

Momo laughs into her palm, completely unbothered.

“For the record,” Jeongyeon mutters, “I’m not even that into casual flings with randoms like you do.”

“Oh?” Momo says dryly.

“And don’t start with your ridiculous story either.”

Momo snaps her head up. “Oh, so now you believe me?”

“No,” Jeongyeon says flatly. “I still think you were imagining things from that night.”

“It happened.”

“Sure it did.”

Momo groans. “Why are you changing the subject? This isn’t about me.”

They glare at each other for a second—then immediately go back to bickering, like always. Honestly? Just another day. Momo’s still on edge. She looks at Jeongyeon and finally says it—quiet, almost pleading. “Please. Just… don’t do anything too fast, okay? Or too sharp. Or—whatever. We barely know these girls, and I really don’t want you fucking this up for me.”

Jeongyeon frowns. “How could I fuck anything up for you?”

Momo stares at her like she can’t believe she even has to explain this. “Because they’re friends. Mina and Nayeon are literally friends and obviously work together. If you mess things up with Nayeon, that could mess things up for me too.” She exhales hard. “And I really don’t want that.”

Jeongyeon studies her. “Why would I sabotage anything for you?”

Momo sighs again, rubbing her forehead. “Look… I’m actually serious about this. I’m open to dating. I’m not doing random stuff anymore. I just want to get to know Mina and see where it goes.” Her voice drops a notch. “And if you rush things or make it weird, it could ruin my chance. It’s been a while for me. Especially after my ex.”

That gets Jeongyeon to soften. “I know,” she says quietly. “We don’t even have to go there.”

Momo’s breakup had been a mess. Everyone on their floor knew it. Almost two years later and it still lingered. Jeongyeon leans back in her chair. “And I mean… it’s not like I don’t get it. I’ve got my own history too. I haven’t been in a relationship since, what—halfway through college? It’s been a minute for me as well.” She shrugs. “I just don’t think I did anything wrong by emailing her.”

Momo gives her a look. “Just—take it slow. Please.”

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes, but there’s no bite behind it. “Okay, okay. Fine. I won’t go so fast. God. You’re being dramatic.”

Still, she knows Momo. They’ve been friends since college. She can tell when something actually matters to her. And right now, Momo’s embarrassed. Worked up. Still replaying lunch in her head. Jeongyeon genuinely hadn’t thought it was that big of a deal—but clearly, Momo did.

Eventually, they drift back into their cubicles, the noise of keyboards and office chatter filling the space again. Jeongyeon opens her screen, tries to refocus. But her eyes keep flicking back to her email.

No reply yet. Her mind starts spinning anyway.

She doesn’t regret sending it—not even a little. And despite herself, she really hopes Nayeon emails back soon.

——

By the time Mina’s computer pings with a Slack message, the day has started to drag.

The kind of late-afternoon drag where the office gets quieter without ever actually becoming quiet. People are still typing, still talking in low voices, still moving around—but everything feels heavier. Slower. Mina blinks at the message from her supervisor.

Need those printouts from the copy room on 5 before end of day. Thanks.

Of course. She sighs softly and glances over at Nayeon and Chaeyoung.

Both of them are busy. Actually busy for once. Nayeon is hunched over her monitor, clicking through something with an expression that suggests she’s already annoyed. Chaeyoung is half-turned in her chair, replying to an email with a look on her face like she wants to fight whoever sent it.

So. Mina has to go alone. Great. She grabs her badge, pushes her chair back, and quietly slips away.

The elevator ride up is too quiet. Mina hates elevators when she’s already in her head. And unfortunately—she is very much in her head.

The doors close, and immediately her mind starts replaying lunch like it’s punishing her. Jeongyeon and Nayeon taking over the entire room. Momo barely getting a chance to talk. Mina herself barely saying anything useful at all. She winces.

“Nayeon was right, I barely talked to her.” The thought hits hard. She stares at her reflection in the elevator doors and feels ridiculous all over again. “She probably thinks I don’t like her.”

Which is insane, because she likes her way too much. That’s the problem. Mina presses her lips together. She doesn’t know how to do this. She doesn’t know how to flirt, or date, or be normal around someone she likes. She doesn’t know how to be alone with Momo without feeling like her whole nervous system is short-circuiting.

And that’s not even counting— The other thing. The thing she tries not to think about and always thinks about anyway. The bathroom. The stall. The thrill of it. The way it still sits under her skin like a secret she can’t wash out.

Mina closes her eyes briefly. God. She has to collaborate with Momo now. Actually collaborate. Actually spend time with her. Actually be alone with her. No buffer. No Nayeon. No Chaeyoung. Just—her.

The elevator dings. Mina exhales. Too late now.

The copy room on the fifth floor is colder than the rest of the building. Bright lights. Big industrial printers. Stacks of paper. The faint scent of toner. Mina steps inside—and stops.

Because Momo is already there. Of course she is.

Standing at one of the large tables, sorting through a stack of papers with a slight furrow in her brow. Sleeves rolled up. Hair falling into her face a little. Looking like she belongs in a commercial for something unfairly specific and expensive.

Mina startles so hard she nearly drops the folder in her hand. Momo looks up immediately. And notices. Of course she notices.

“Oh—” Mina says, way too fast. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

Momo straightens a little, surprised too. “Yeah. Me neither.”

Silence. Awkward. Charged. Both of them standing there like they just got caught doing something when neither of them has technically done anything at all. Mina clears her throat and steps farther into the room. “I’m just picking up some stuff for my supervisor.”

Momo nods, gesturing vaguely to her own stack. “Same. Apparently these need to be organized in, like… a very specific way or the world will end.”

That gets a tiny smile out of Mina. “Sounds about right.”

Momo notices that too. They end up working side by side at the long table. Not too close. But close enough. Stacks of paper between them. Their hands moving in parallel. Sorting. Aligning. Stapling. Straightening.

The kind of task that should feel boring. Instead, every little thing feels magnified. The sound of paper sliding. The brush of sleeves. The awareness of the other person standing right there. At one point their shoulders bump. Just barely. Neither of them pulls away.

A quiet little silence opens up after that. Not uncomfortable. Just… aware. Momo is the one who breaks it. “Hey.”

Mina looks over. For once, she doesn’t startle. Just meets her eyes. “Yeah?”

Momo shifts slightly, suddenly looking almost shy. Which—Mina did not know was possible on her. “Sorry about lunch.”

Mina blinks. Momo scratches lightly at the back of her neck. “Jeongyeon was being… Jeongyeon. And honestly, if we do that again, she’s banned.”

Mina lets out a tiny laugh before she can stop it. “That feels harsh.”

“It’s not harsh enough.”

That gets a bigger smile out of Mina. Momo seems relieved. “I’m serious,” she says. “That was a mess today.”

Mina exhales. “Nayeon wasn’t helping either.”

Momo immediately looks up. “Okay, good.”

Mina laughs softly. “So you noticed that too?”

“Noticed?” Momo says. “I was living through it.”

That makes Mina laugh again. A real laugh this time. And something about that changes the room. Just a little. The tension loosens. The air gets lighter. Mina glances back down at the papers. “I wanted to apologize too.”

Momo’s voice softens. “For what?”

Mina shrugs, a little embarrassed. “For Nayeon. And… all of that.”

She gestures vaguely, meaning the flirting, the chaos, the whole ridiculous lunch. Momo huffs out a breath. “Okay, good. I thought I was losing my mind.”

Mina shakes her head. “No. You were not.”

“That was definitely a thing, right?”

“It was absolutely a thing.”

They look at each other. And then both laugh. Small. Private. Like they’ve just agreed on something important. After that, talking gets easier. Not easy, exactly. But easier.

They talk about Nayeon. About how she likes to act like nothing means anything when everything obviously means something. They talk about Jeongyeon being worse, somehow. Then Momo asks, more casually than she actually feels, “So where was Chaeyoung today?”

Mina glances at her. “Oh. She was actually busy.”

Momo pauses.

“She had a meeting with our supervisor,” Mina explains. “About an intern. She’s probably going to be a mentor.”

That makes Momo’s expression shift. Not much. But enough. Like something just clicked into place. So Jeongyeon was wrong. Chaeyoung being absent wasn’t some setup or some weird tactical move. She really had been busy.

Mina notices the shift in her expression and says, “It wasn’t a trick.”

Momo looks over. “What?”

Mina blinks. “Nothing.”

Momo studies her for a second, then smiles a little. “No, you’re right,” she says. “It wasn’t.” A beat passes. Then, quieter: “This feels… better.”

Mina stills slightly. Momo looks down at the papers in her hands. “Just—talking like this. Knowing what was actually going on instead of… whatever all that was.”

Mina nods softly. “…yeah.”

And it does. It really does.

The room goes quiet again. Not empty. Just softer. Momo looks at her. Really looks at her. Then says, with no warning at all: “I like hearing you talk.”

Mina’s head jerks up. “What?”

Momo shrugs like she didn’t just say something completely destabilizing. “At lunch. I wanted to hear you talk more.”

Mina can feel heat rushing into her face. “Momo.”

“What?”

“Stop.”

Momo blinks innocently. “I’m being honest.”

“That’s worse.”

Momo laughs under her breath. Then, because apparently she has no self-preservation instinct, she adds, “You have a nice voice.”

Mina stares at her. Mortified. Momo, somehow, only gets bolder. “It’s true.”

Mina makes a face and turns back to her papers, trying and failing to look unaffected. So Momo, absolute dork that she is, tries to recover by saying the first dumb thing that comes to mind. “I mean, not that I’ve been, like, sitting around ranking voices or anything. That’d be weird. I don’t have a spreadsheet. Or categories. Or—”

Mina laughs. Actually laughs. Bright and sudden and completely unguarded. And Momo just—stops. Because there it is again. That laugh. And she likes it. Way too much. Mina sees her staring and immediately goes pink again. “Don’t.”

Momo grins. “No, I like that.”

“What?”

“That.”

Mina narrows her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

Momo smiles to herself. She could get addicted to this way too fast. Their shoulders bump again. This time a little more fully. Neither of them moves. The silence that follows is different now. Warmer. Closer. More aware. And Momo, for the first time all day, lets herself be honest. A little. “I hope I didn’t scare you earlier.”

Mina turns to her, surprised. “Scare me?”

Momo looks down at the papers she’s sorting, suddenly very interested in making sure the corners line up exactly right. “You were really quiet at lunch.”

Mina says nothing. Momo keeps going. “And I know I can be… kind of a lot.”

Mina almost laughs, because kind of is doing a lot of work there. Momo glances at her, ears just a little red now. “I don’t know,” she says, quieter. “Maybe I came on too strong.”

That one really does catch Mina off guard. Because she hadn’t expected Momo—Momo, who seemed so confident, so easy, so impossible to rattle—to be nervous too. Mina watches her for a long second. And something in her chest softens. A lot.

Momo’s question from earlier lingers in the air. Mina blinks at her. Scare her? If anything—it’s the opposite. Mina exhales softly, shoulders dropping just a little. “…I’m an idiot,” she mutters.

Momo immediately frowns. “Hey—don’t—”

“No, I am,” Mina cuts in quickly, shaking her head. “I just… I don’t know how to do this.”

Momo stills. Mina keeps going, words coming out faster now, like if she stops she won’t say any of it. “I’m really shy,” she admits, quieter. “And I don’t know how to talk to people. Or—date. Or…” she gestures vaguely between them, flustered, “…this.”

Momo watches her carefully. Something in her expression softens. Mina swallows. “I don’t know how to be around you yet.”

That lands. Harder than anything else she’s said. Momo’s breath catches just slightly. And Mina—Mina realizes she’s already said too much. But somehow—she keeps going. Because now that it’s started, she can’t stop. “I just—” she huffs out a quiet breath, almost laughing at herself, “I didn’t think I’d find you.”

Silence hits them. Momo’s brows pull together. “…what?”

Mina freezes. Shit. SHIT.

Her eyes widen slightly, brain scrambling. “I—what? No—I didn’t mean—like—” she gestures vaguely, panicking, “I just meant—like—I feel like I’ve seen you before? Or—something—like—”

That made it worse. That definitely made it worse. Momo just stares at her now. Confused. Curious. A little thrown off. “…okay,” she says slowly.

Mina laughs nervously. “I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Yeah,” Momo says, a little amused now. “I can tell.”

Mina groans, dropping her head for a second. “I’m embarrassing myself.”

“You’re really not.”

Mina looks back up at her. Momo means it. And for some reason—that makes it easier to keep going.

“I just…” Mina exhales. “I do want to get to know you.”

Momo’s heart stutters. Mina fidgets with the papers in her hands. “My friends have been trying to help me. A lot.”

Momo’s lips twitch. “Yeah. I noticed.”

Mina lets out a small laugh. “Chaeyoung set this up.”

Momo immediately points at her. “I fucking knew it.”

Mina laughs again, a little brighter this time. “Yeah. She gave you my number.”

“That makes so much more sense,” Momo mutters, shaking her head. “I was like—there’s no way this just happened. Even Jeongyeon said I was delusional.”

Mina presses her lips together, smiling. “Well… you weren’t delusional. I didn’t want to mess it up.”

“You didn’t.”

“I almost did.”

“You didn’t,” Momo repeats, softer this time.

Mina looks at her. Really looks at her. “I’m really glad you called me today,” she says.

And that—that does something to Momo. Something immediate. Something dangerous. Because suddenly, she’s seeing Mina differently. Not just the quiet girl from earlier. Not just the one who barely spoke at lunch. But—the way her hair falls around her face. The way her eyes flick up when she’s nervous. The way her voice softens when she says something real. The way she laughs. The way she’s trying.

Momo’s breath catches.

Oh.

Oh shit.

“Fuck, I’m in trouble,” her brain supplies helpfully. And before she can stop herself, Momo says it out loud—

“You’re really pretty.”

Mina short circuits. Completely. “What—” she lets out a small, disbelieving laugh, immediately flustered. “Stop.”

“I’m serious.”

“Momo.”

“I am.”

Mina shakes her head, overwhelmed, and does the first thing her body can think of—She pushes Momo lightly on the chest. Not hard. Just—playful. Defensive. Flustered. “Stop it,” she mutters.

But her hand—lingers. And Momo notices. Of course she does. Her eyes flick down to where Mina’s hand rests against her. Feels it. The warmth. The pressure. The contact. And before Mina can pull away—Momo reaches up and catches her wrist. Gently. Carefully. And keeps her hand right there.

Mina freezes. Her breath stutters.Because—she can feel it. Momo’s heartbeat. Fast. Under her palm. Real. And suddenly everything is too loud and too quiet at the same time. Momo looks at her. “…see?” she says softly.

Mina swallows. Her heart is racing just as fast. Maybe faster. And then—something shifts. Inside her. That same feeling. That same reckless, buzzing courage she felt before. In a place she shouldn’t have. With a version of herself she barely recognized.

It flickers back to life.

Mina inhales slowly. Steps closer. Just a little. Tilts her head. And before she can overthink it—”…you really think I’m pretty?”

The tone is different. Softer. But—bolder. Almost teasing. And Momo reacts immediately. Like she just got hit with something. Her grip tightens slightly on Mina’s hand. She steps closer too. Now there’s barely any space between them.

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Mina’s brain—gone. Completely gone. She just stares at her. Heart pounding. Hand still pressed to Momo’s chest. Momo’s still holding her wrist. They’re so close now. Too close. Close enough that—Mina can feel her breath. Momo can see the way Mina’s lips part slightly. And neither of them moves away.

They lean in. Slow. Unthinking. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like it was always going to happen.

Like—

The door swings open.

“Bro I swear if she emails me one more—”

Two coworkers walk in, loud as hell, mid-conversation. Mina and Momo jump apart like they just got electrocuted. Both of them instantly turn away. Grabbing papers. Looking anywhere but each other. Faces burning. Ears red. Hearts still racing like they didn’t almost—

Like that didn’t just happen. The coworkers don’t even notice. They just keep talking. Oblivious. Completely.

“I should—” Momo starts, voice slightly higher than normal. She clears her throat. “I should go.”

Mina nods way too fast. “Yeah. Yeah, me too.”

They don’t move. For a second. Then Momo gathers her stack of papers quickly. Almost clumsily. Turns—Starts to walk out. But then—she stops. Just before the door. And looks back. Over her shoulder. “Mina…”

Mina looks up. Their eyes meet. And Momo immediately looks away again, flustered. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

A beat passes. Mina nods. “…yeah.”

Momo hesitates. “…okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

And then she’s gone. Silence hits her. The copy room feels way too big now. Way too quiet. Mina just stands there. Staring at nothing. For exactly two seconds. And then—

She squeals. Quietly. Violently. Grabs the stack of papers and smashes them against her face.

“Oh my god—” Her whole body curls in on itself. “We almost kissed—” Mina lowers the papers just enough to gasp. “She held my hand—” She presses the papers back to her face again, giggling. “I have to write this down.”

The two co workers from earlier glance at her, amused. Mina’s eyes go straight to the floor, embarrassed. But then gasps in shock, as an idea comes to her head. “I need a diary.” She mutters softly to herself, giggling a bit.

She spins in place once, completely overwhelmed, not caring anymore that she’s not alone in the room. Blushing. Grinning. Losing her mind. Then quickly gathers herself—kind of—and rushes out of the copy room, clutching the papers like they’re evidence of something life-changing. Because they are. And the only thought in her head now is—

I need to tell Nayeon and Chaeyoung immediately.