Perception

Chapter 2

Jihyo was silent for a few moments after Jeongyeon's narration. During that time, Jeongyeon's stomach had started grumbling, causing them to burst out in giggles.

"Come on, we'll talk more about this while you're eating. Don't worry, everyone's out right now so no one would hear or disturb us," Jihyo said, taking Jeongyeon's hand in her own and began to drag her out of bed.

"Wait, I haven't showered yet," Jeongyeon protested.

"You can do that later, you haven't eaten anything last night, I know you're famished."

It turned out Jihyo was right. Once she had food on her plate, Jeongyeon dug in. Jihyo waited patiently in front of her to finish eating before she spoke, "So what are you going to do now? You know you can't keep ignoring her forever."

Jeongyeon scowled a little. "I thought you were going to help me."

"I will but for the most part, you'll have to figure things out on your own. I'm just here to give advice and stop you from being stupid."

Jeongyeon scoffed at that and put down her chopsticks before addressing Jihyo, "But what can I do? I can't tell her about my feelings, it would be humiliating."

"What makes you think that? I know about it and I'm fine with it. This whole thing might just be you overthinking and running away from your feelings instead of facing them head on."

Jeongyeon went silent after that. She knew Jihyo was right but things weren't as simple as that. There were a lot of things to consider. What if her feelings were just temporary and maybe she was just confused? What does Nayeon feel about her? How would Nayeon or any of their members react if she ever does confess? What would they think about her?

She only shared the first thought to Jihyo who answered, "Arasseo. Tell me, what do you like about Nayeon?"

Jeongyeon didn't need much thought before saying, "I like a lot of things about her... I like her bunny teeth, her smile, her laugh. I like how she can be cute, beautiful, and sexy at the same time. I like how she acts childish most of the time but she can be serious and mature when she wants to. I like how she always does aegyo even though I might react to them indifferently. I like how she cares and looks out for us. I like how passionate she is about her dreams and goals, the way her eyes light up when she talks about them. I like how I can be myself when I'm around her. I like her perseverance and competitiveness. And I like how she's always been by my side through all these years... she's my best friend. I mean... what's not to like?"

Jihyo had a huge albeit smug grin on her face as she looked at Jeongyeon listing down the reasons why she likes Nayeon... the way she had this content glint in her eyes and a smile was on her face. It made her feel giddy. She could see it wasn't just a crush though.

Regarding Jeongyeon with a somber expression, "You love her, don't you?"

Jeongyeon gave her a sad smile, saying, "I do." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, startling Jihyo who shot out of her seat to kneel beside Jeongyeon and embrace her. She let Jeongyeon cry on her shoulder, patting her head and back. They stayed like that for a few moments before Jeongyeon pulled back and wiped her tears from her face.

"Mianhe," Jihyo said in a sympathetic tone.

Jeongyeon chuckled at that, still wiping her face. "What are you saying sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through right now. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you."

Jeongyeon shook her head. "Gwaenchanha. You had no idea and I wasn't ready for anyone to know about it before... I admit I'm still not ready for it but, honestly, it makes me feel relieved that I can finally talk to someone about it. Gomawo, Jihyo-yah."

Jihyo smiled at this. "Gwaenchanha. I may not have been there from the start but I'm here now, you can count on me."

They extended their arms and tried to hug each other for a brief moment of camaraderie but then awkwardly pulled their arms back when they remembered neither of them liked much physical contact. They shared a laugh over that.

When they had sobered themselves, Jihyo said, "Okay... now that that's over with, we still need to talk about damage control."

Jeongyeon arched her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You've been pulling away, Jeongyeon, not only from Nayeon but also from the other members. It may be a good thing that she's not the only one you've tried to avoid since it wouldn't be obvious that you have feelings for her but the others are starting to wonder. You're going to have to up your acting a little so they don't get too suspicious."

Jeongyeon frowned at this. "I can't help it. It's hard to act like nothing is going on, especially around Nayeon. I don't even know how to act around her anymore."

"Well, good thing I'm here to help then. How about this? Just try to act like you usually do around the others. For Nayeon... I remember her mentioning that you don't tease her or talk to her as much anymore so why don't you start there and try to remember how you acted around her before. I'm sure you'll fall back to your old habits in no time."

Just as they had finished their little tête-à-tête, the front door burst open and they were greeted to the sight of Dahyun and Chaeyoung singing and dancing to something playing from a phone Dahyun was holding, their arms filled with paper and shopping bags. Behind them were Momo, Sana, Tzuyu, and Nayeon who also had shopping bags hanging over their elbows and were eating ice creams whilst chatting with each other. Once their eyes landed on Jihyo and Jeongyeon, they immediately began to crowd around the latter. The scene was not unlike the one last night when had Jeongyeon stepped through their dorm.

"Hyung, gwaenchanha?"

"Ya, Jihyo-yah! Her eyes are red and puffy! Did you make her cry?"

"Jeongyeon-ah, you want some ice cream?"

"Finally out of bed, huh?"

"What were you guys doing?"

"Ya, my ice cream!"

Jihyo just rolled her eyes at them before she turned somber. "Arasseo, enough of that for now. Why don't we all go to the living room after you're done with your ice creams... there's something we need to discuss. And Jeong... go take a bath, will you?"

The seriousness in the tone of their leader never failed to sober the girls and made them attentive. Whatever Jihyo wanted to talk to them about was probably important. Jeongyeon took the opportunity to go to the bathroom to take a quick bath. Momo, Sana, Tzuyu, and Nayeon wasted no time in finishing their ice creams before they all gathered in the living room. Jeongyeon was the last to arrive. She had changed out of her pajamas and her still damp hair were encased in a towel. She sat next to Momo, Sana, and Nayeon who settled themselves on the couch while Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun sat on the floor in front of the couch. Jihyo was standing in front of them with her arms crossed.

She cleared her throat before speaking. "While most of you were out, one of our managers called me... to tell me news about Mina."

If the girls weren't taking her seriously before, they were much more alert now, especially a certain maknae.

"What happened, unnie? Is Mina-unnie alright?" Chaeyoung asked, almost in a panic. Dahyun wrapped an around her shoulders to keep her calm.

"Aniyo, nothing of the sort. It's good news, actually," Jihyo reassured her while fighting a smile off her face.

Jeongyeon could see an unmistakable glint in her eyes which made her smirk. That glint was somewhat familiar to her as it usually appeared whenever she or Jihyo were planning something or goofing around. She might have a hunch that Jihyo was trying to prank the members so she kept silent, not wanting to ruin it for their leader.

"Then what is it, Jihyo-yah? Are you trying to kill us with suspense or something?" Nayeon frowned at her, crossing her arms.

Jihyo may be a stern leader who usually led with an iron fist but that didn't mean she was opposed to having fun. There were times when she would play around with her group and initiate pranks. This was one of these times. Before she knew it, Jihyo couldn't hold it back anymore and burst out in laughter. She had tried to keep a serious face in delivering the news but seeing the members' expressions, she couldn't keep a straight face any longer. The members could only look in frustration and interest at the scene.

"Daebak! You should have seen your faces!" Jihyo said in between laughs. "Nothing's wrong, you dorks. The manager called to tell me Mina is alright now and will be coming back!"

They all cheered at the news, jumping up and down in glee. It had been a while since they've seen Mina. She had been in and out of therapy and staying with her parents, as suggested by JYP himself, to help combat her mental health problems. During that time, the girls had to continue their tour without her and when they had returned to Korea, they visited her frequently. They all missed her terribly and couldn't wait for her to come back.

"Ya, unnie, when is she coming back?" Chaeyoung said, her face sporting a wide smile.

"Who's coming back?" a teasing voice they hadn't heard in a while came from the door frame.

They turned their heads to see Mina leaning on the door frame with a wide smile on her face and sporting a new look with her long, wavy, blond hair. A trolley and a duffel bag lay beneath her feet. This surprised everyone, even Jihyo. She was only informed that Mina was coming back but not the exact date of when that would happen. She'd been duped, she realized with a smile on her face. Well played, Mina, she thought.

While the others sat- or stood in Jihyo's case- rooted in their spots making surprised noises, Chaeyoung was a little faster than them as she all but jumped into Mina's awaiting arms to squeeze the life out of her. She buried her face in Mina's shoulder, taking in her familiar scent of peonies while the other members approached them and gathered in a group hug.

When they pulled away, Chaeyoung was still latched onto Mina, her face hidden in Mina's shoulder. The members could only look on at the scene with tears in their eyes. They had all missed Mina but Chaeyoung was most affected when they found out about Mina's struggles. It was apparent Chaeyoung was probably crying on Mina's shoulder as Mina hugged her tighter and whispered comforting things into her ear.

A few moments later, Chaeyoung finally pulled back and wiped away her tears with Mina's help. She sniffed, "A-Are you alright now, unnie?"

Mina smiled, "Ne. Don't cry, Chaeng."

Chaeyoung chuckled a bit. "Aniyo. It's just... I- We really missed you, unnie."

"I missed all of you, too."

Jihyo clapped her hands, a wide smile on her face. "Okay! Since our Minari has returned, why don't we go out later to celebrate?"

The others chorused their approval with Jihyo's suggestion. They had then dispersed. Momo, Sana, Tzuyu, and Nayeon going into their respective rooms to get rid of their shopping bags. Jihyo and Dahyun were calling their managers which left Mina, Chaeyoung, and Jeongyeon in the living room.

"Here, unnie, let me help you with your bags," Chaeyoung offered. She gave Mina no chance to refuse as the small girl had already dragged Mina's luggage to her room which she shared with Nayeon, Jihyo, and Sana.

Jeongyeon turned to Mina once Chaeyoung had disappeared from sight. "How are you, Minari?"

Mina gave her a gummy smile. "Much better now that I'm back, Jeongyeon-unnie."

Jeongyeon chuckled at that and pulled her into a brief hug. She then pulled back but kept Mina within an arm's length, eyeing Mina's hair. "Your hair color suits you."

Mina blushed at the compliment, brushing her hair from her face timidly. "Jinjja? I wanted to try something new but I thought it made me look plain."

"Aniyo! I like it. It makes you look like an angel." Jeongyeon pat her head, smiling.

"Gomawo, unnie."

"Jeongyeon-ah?" a voice called from behind them.

Jeongyeon and Mina turned towards the sound to see Nayeon with her arms crossed and a blank expression on her face. Jeongyeon unconsciously took a step back from Mina as she felt Nayeon's gaze upon her. It unnerved her and, for a moment, she deluded herself into thinking Nayeon might be jealous at what had just transpired between her and Mina. I wish, she thought, feeling hopeless.

"Oh, unnie. What is it?"

Nayeon chose to ignore her question and smiled at Mina. She walked towards said girl and embraced her tightly. "Mina, I'm so glad you're back. Can I borrow Jeongyeon for a while?"

Mina's gaze shifted back and forth between the two oldest members in confusion. "Um... yeah, sure, unnie." She then excused herself to look for the others with a slightly bothered look on her face.

Before Jeongyeon could object, Nayeon had already grabbed her hand and pulled her towards their kitchen where no one was occupying at the moment. The older girl then turned towards her and resumed her stance from a while ago, crossing her arms and fixing Jeongyeon with an unnerving stare. 

Jeongyeon couldn't look at her and just sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, awkwardly waiting for Nayeon to speak. Fortunately for her, the silence didn't last long.

"What's going on, Jeongyeon? Whatever's bothering you is not only affecting you but us too. I know I said I would wait for you to open up when you're ready to talk... but you've been ignoring me and the others recently. Then when Mina's here, you act like nothing's wrong with us and you have no problem when it comes to her... it's all so confusing and exhausting and I hate it! I-I hate that you're pulling away from me, Jeong... from us," Nayeon rambled in distress, her voice cracking at the end.

She then surprised Jeongyeon by lunging forward and wrapping her arms around the taller girl's waist. Jeongyeon felt her heart jump then plummet as feelings of guilt began to consume her. She heard Nayeon sniff on her shoulder and her guilt increased tenfold. She could feel her shirt getting damp from Nayeon's tears. Nayeon was obviously really bothered by Jeongyeon's recent behavior towards them and it made Jeongyeon want to hit herself for making her bunny cry. She wrapped her arms around Nayeon's shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"Mianhe, Nayeon-unnie. I promise I won't ignore you or the others anymore," she mumbled, kissing the side of Nayeon's head.

Nayeon's voice was muffled as she refused to raise her head from Jeongyeon's shoulder. "I'm just worried about you, Jeong. You've obviously been struggling for a while now with no one to talk to but how can I help you when you won't open up to me? I mean... it doesn't even have to be me. You can talk to the others too, you know."

Jeongyeon pulled back a little and wiped Nayeon's tears off her cheeks. "I'm fine now, I really am. I..." she hesitated then, not sure if she wanted to reveal that she had opened up to Jihyo about her problem and not with Nayeon who was supposedly her best friend, slightly worried on how the latter would react. In the end, she chose to be honest. "I-I've already talked to Jihyo about it."

"Oh..." Nayeon paused for a few seconds. "Was she able to help?"

Jeongyeon gave her a slightly hesitant smile before replying, "She's God Jihyo for a reason." Then remembering what Jihyo said to her, she decided to add in a teasing voice, "Wae? Were you jealous?"

Nayeon briefly chuckled at that. She then pouted at her and decided to pull an aegyo. "Of course I'm jealous. Jeongie should only be mine!"

She tightened her hold on Jeongyeon's waist, staring up at the taller girl with what Jeongyeon identified as looking like a puppy that had been kicked. Her cuteness was on full blast and Jeongyeon was the unfortunate recipient. Jeongyeon could feel her heartbeat quicken and a blush spread rapidly across her face. Since there was not an inch of space in between them, she knew Nayeon would probably be able to hear her heartbeat.

She was proven right as Nayeon's aegyo was replaced with a confused expression as she rested her ear over Jeongyeon's chest and listened to her heartbeat. When Nayeon had pulled back to look at her, she had a smug albeit teasing smile on her face. Jeongyeon couldn't bare to look at her and turned her head to the side.

"Your heart's beating pretty fast, Jeongie. You liked my aegyo, didn't you?" Nayeon teased, poking Jeongyeon's cheeks.

Jeongyeon scowled a little and batted Nayeon's hands away from her face. "A-Aniya! You look ugly when you do that, unnie." She mentally cursed herself for her weak comeback. Nayeon would never let her live this down now, she was sure of it.

Nayeon scoffed arrogantly at her, taking a step back and crossing her arms over her chest once again. "Even now when I've already caught you, you're still playing hard to get? Ya, you forget you're already mine, pabo." She then tilted her head, puckered her lips, shot Jeongyeon a finger heart, and winked.

The sudden aegyo made Jeongyeon laugh loudly, her wheezing laugh finally making an appearance after such a long time of isolating herself from her group. She figured Jihyo was right, she would be able to fall back into her old habits... although she wouldn't admit it to her face. What she didn't realize, however, that merely Nayeon's presence could help put her at ease, if only she would accept that fact.

"Ya, why are you laughing, you ostrich!" Nayeon whined, hitting Jeongyeon's arm, the latter now bent forwards and clutching at her stomach as she continued to laugh.

And for that moment, the two were in their own little world, not aware of the fact that the interaction had caught the attention of the other members who crowded around the entrance of the kitchen.

Mina looked relieved, she was worried the two had a fight when she saw Nayeon not looking very happy with Jeongyeon a while ago. Tzuyu was confused as to why they decided to intrude at what she recognized was a private interaction between Nayeon and Jeongyeon. Chaeyoung had a surprised look on her face, it had been a while since she'd seen her hyung smile like that. Momo, Sana, and Dahyun could only glance at each other, thoroughly confused and having no idea what the hell was happening.

Jihyo, however, had a wide, proud smile across her face. Looks like everything's back to normal, she thought happily.