Chapter Text
A week after that Momo noticed something odd between Mina and Sana. Mostly just Sana. She was constantly red around Mina. Always nervous and giddy. Wearing a familiar look on her face. The same face Momo makes towards Sana. She can tell how stupid she looks in the back of photos or just by her friend’s observations.
She tried denying it since it’d hurt more to know Sana liked her sister. But when the other girl straight up told Momo ‘Hey! Can you find out if Mina likes anyone right now?’ To say that her heart dropped was an understatement. Momo was devastated. She tried to get over her. But it was considerably hard since Sana came over practically everyday giving love eyes to Mina. Who very obviously liked Nayeon. Who Momo thinks likes Jeongyeon? Who currently likes no one. A very weird friend group full of people who like each other, and yet they somehow manage to make it work. She’s not too sure since she’s terrible at reading feelings.
First step of trying to get over Sana was trying to become her own person, she cut her own hair after sulking all day in bed. Her parents were shocked and Mina laughed since it was uneven and they had to get it cut professionally at a salon to even it out. So then she had a hime cut. She tried begging her parents to dye her hair but they were already mad for going against them and cutting her hair so they obviously denied her request. Sana said that her new hair looked pretty and suited her and that made Momo smiley all week.
Mina finally admitted her feelings for Nayeon. Well only to Sana and Momo. She told Momo one night after she caught her crying into her pillow. Technically she didn't have to say anything, Momo just asked “Nayeon?” And Mina whined louder mumbling a “oh you know,”
“Don’t tell anyone, I’m still processing it,” Mina mumbled into her pillow.
“I won’t,” she assured her sister. “How bad is it?”
“Bad, she’s always on my mind. Her stupid adorable smile and her loud laugh. And she’s never shy towards physical touch,” Momo nodded in agreement. Sana was the exact same. “She’s always there for me and sticks up for me. Being around her makes me feel like I’m alive, you know?” Mina chuckled. “Maybe you don’t, but it’s fine I’ll get over this soon. It’s just a small crush.
“Hm, I see the way you look and her unnie. You, my sweet dumb sister, are in love.” Mina groaned into the pillow.
“Yeah okay leave now,” she pointed to the doors. Momo didn’t.
She comforted her sister for as long as it took for her to stop crying, then a few days later Mina told Sana. While Momo was there. She saw the shocked and suppressed pain on her face. It was humorous how Mina didn't notice her smile instantly dropping and never reaching her eyes the rest of the night. Mina left that night because Nayeon got drunk and needed her to pick her up.
It was a vicious cycle. Mina felt sad when drunk Nayeon would complain about Jeongyeon never looking her way, which made Mina sad that Nayeon was this obsessed over Jeongyeon. Which would make her cry on Sana’s shoulder about her unrequited love. Momo ended up getting tangled in this when she accidentally caught Sana crying at their school’s janitor closet. So she was left to comfort her own crush about her crush on her unattainable sister.
It was hard for Momo to hear and listen about how she can never be Sana’s.
The following year it was time for Mina and her friends to leave for college. Good for her family that Mina decided to stay in Korea and study right in Seoul(where they lived). Bad for Momo since every weekend her sister would come back home for the sole purpose to annoy Momo. The only one from their friend group to leave for another country was Sana. Who decided to study in Osaka and be closer to her dad.
Momo was determined to get over her for real as soon as she left. When Momo went with Mina and her friends to drop Sana off at the airport she was on the verge of tears. Stupid but Momo was a crybaby despite not being one for years. Sana teared up while Nayeon was straight up bawling, hugging her. Sana hugged all of her friends, spending more time talking about something with Mina, she left Momo for last.
“Hey, don’t cry,” she patted Momo's head. “I’ll come visit a lot, I can never leave you all,”
“I’ll miss you,” Momo whispered, scared that if she’s too loud her voice would crack. She hugged Sana, which surprised the other girl. Momo rarely initiated physical touch, Sana embraced her back.
“I’ll miss you too momoring, you can text me, I’ll always make time for you,” Momo swallowed the lump down her throat. She felt guilty for liking this saint, mostly for her sinful thoughts about how soft her lips must be and how inviting and warm her touch was.
“I love you.” It felt like a weighted anvil lifted off her chest to finally say those words out loud. Sana chuckled, she wouldnt be if she knew what Momo meant.
“You're getting more confident, huh? I love you too,” she hugged Momo harder. And even though she knew Sana meant sisterly or a friendly love. She still cherishes it.
She was heartbroken for the first few weeks, since her house had become empty without her sister annoying her every minute. And this time she couldn't pop by to Sana’s house for entertainment. When her parents left her alone for a week for yet another business trip. The reason why they go on so many is because her mom has a job that requires lots of traveling and her dad has a pretty chill job where meetings can take place online so it was like a little vacation for them.
One day she was bored out of her mind. And Momo felt like doing something kind of rebellious. In short she bleached her hair by herself at home. Blonde wasn't a bad look on her. What was bad was the shouting and scolding she got from her parents when they got back, complaining how she ruined and damaged her hair for good.
But still they let her keep it, dying it back to black would be too harsh for her scalp anyways. Mina laughed hysterically at her when she came back one weekend saying how Momo looked like a blonde golden retriever. Momo even tried to get a piercing, her ears. But after seeing the needle in the piercer’s hand she hyperventilated and quite literally fainted on the chair. She tried to find a new crush, but Sana was still flooding her mind. She posted herself on instagram every week and Momo would stare at how pretty she looked. She wanted to text her many times but every time she puss*ed out. Only wishing her a happy birthday when the time comes.
Right when Momo thinks she's gotten over her she sees Sana in person. The fourth day after she was back and done spending time with her mom and settling in, she talked to Momo like they used to. Not like people who haven't had any form of communication for half a year. Sana hugged her and said blonde looked cute on her and just like that Momo was whipped again. She came back for three weeks for new years. And after those short weeks flew by Momo missed her again. Even though Momo pretended like Sana didn't exist, the older girl wasn't spiteful whatsoever.
“Crushed on anyone recently?” She asked in a teasing voice. A little hard since you're always on my mind.
“Nope,” she popped the p sound
“Didn't you go on a date recently?” Mina asked, her voice laced with playfulness.
“Ooo, first date?” Sana added on.
“Come on tell us who,”
“Someone in my lacrosse team, I don’t like her though.” Sejeong was cute, but she made Momo nervous to be around. Different from Sana, in a bad way. Sana made her feel floaty and stuck in a constant daydream. With Sejeong she made Momo feel anxious, like running out of the room anxious.
“Why not?”
“Not over my first crush,” she mumbled, accidentally locking eyes with Sana. Sana looked exactly the same, the same soft eyes, the same pink lips. The only thing different was her child-like aura, it changed and resonated more like someone mature.
“-ayyy, Momo, pay attention,” Mina snapped her fingers in Momo’s face.
“Hm?”
“The Tzuyu girl?”
“Oh no, she’s my friend now,” Momo chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed that she got caught blankly staring at Sana. She quickly got up when she spotted the confused looks, sprinting up the stairs before they would start grilling her with questions.
Momo was 16 when she finally met drunk Sana. Her worst nightmare. The three weeks she came back, Sana threw a New Year’s party at her house, to countdown into the new year. She invited close friends from high school and of course Momo and the rest of her gang. Mina went earlier and after two hours of hyping herself up Momo walked across the street to finally enter the party. She was greeted with a flushed Sana all smiley.
“Ah, Momo!” She exclaimed, hugging her. Momo’s stomach started churning. The smell of Sana’s soft perfume and fruity alcohol took over her senses. “I thought you werent gonna come,” she interlocked her hand with Momo’s and dragged her to the kitchen. “I know you're not of age, but under my guided supervision I can take care of you,” she slurred, pouring Momo a glass of champagne. Momo‘s mouth went dry at the sight of Sana. She was wearing the simplest outfit ever, a turtleneck and a pencil skirt and yet Momo was foaming at the most. Staring at Sana like a lost puppy.
“I think i need to take care of you unnie, you can't stand right,” Sana giggled and playfully punched Momo’s arm.
“You have to savor this, it's really expensive,” she whispered, handing Momo the thin glass. Momo took a sip to calm her nerves. And ironically Sana poured more into her glass and chugged three big gulps making Momo giggle.
“Jeeze, i thought you're supposed to savor this,” she teased. Sana rolled her eyes.
“I've enjoyed the taste too many times tonight, give me a break it's been a longggg night,” she whined, locking her arms with Momo and resting her head on her shoulder.
It was obvious Sana was the touchy drunk. She didn't let go of Momo all night. It was fine since Momo had to follow her around all night anyways, ordered by Mina to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. Momo had to take her down from dancing on the table. She had to stop her from taking body shots from some hot girl. Definitely not because of her own jealousy but because she was already drunk enough.
Half an hour before the clock struck midnight everyone settled down in the living room. Or around it.
“Okay everyone, we all know the drill. Countdown during the last ten seconds then bam new year. We drink, and we dance until dawn!” Mina cheered, raising her hand up in a fist and everyone followed. Momo has never been more scared. The room of drunk people resembled a cult and she couldn’t wait to leave.
The thirty minutes just flew by, Sana put on a countdown video for five minutes while everyone started pairing up, confusing Momo. “Unnie, why is everyone separating?” Momo asked.
“Oh, they’re all gonna give each other a new year kiss,” Sana whispered in her ear. Her voice tickled her ears sending chills down her spine. ‘God am I going to have to watch her kiss someone?’
“Oh, cool,”
“See any cute girls? You can leave me, I won’t be mad,” she wiggled her eyebrows, giggling and sipping her drink.
“I’d rather stay with this cute girl,” the moment the words left Momo’s mouth she regretted it. The small amount of alcohol gave her too much confidence. Sana looked at her with a confused expression.
“Hm, thank you,” Momo wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. Why’d she say that? Everyone started chanting for the last ten seconds. Sana joined in and encouraged Momo to do it too. So she did. At a much softer tone. She was basically just mouthing the numbers. Once they hit one, fireworks went off outside and everyone around her started making out with their partner.
Mina somehow convinced Nayeon to give her a small peck on the lips. She could see her sister practically vibrate in place, smiling the widest she’s seen. Momo’s too scared to look next to her but she’s sure Sana went off with someone else.
Then a cold soft touch on her chin shocked Momo out of her daze. Then a pair of soft lips planted a kiss on her cheek. Too close to her lips for comfort. “Happy new years Momoring,” a voice recognizably as Sana whispered. Momo’s heart sank, not in fear but excitement and she suddenly felt cold and all warm and tingly at once.
Momo nodded and stared at the floor, too scared her heart would literally burst if she’d look at Sana right now.
