What the heart wants

Chapter 23

Their flight is scheduled to leave in the evening. The girls have finished packing and decide to go for a swim in the ocean as the waves are calmer that day.

"Where's Nayeon?" Jihyo asks. She feels like she's been asking that a lot lately.

Tzuyu grabs her beach bag and hangs it over her shoulder. "Went for a walk."

Jihyo doesn't question it. Nayeon is a cheerful person but she knows the girl wanders off alone sometimes as if to recharge her batteries.

When they get to the beach, Momo points at the distance and bounces excitedly on her feet. "Nayeon Unnie is over there, look."

"Where?" Chaeyoung asks completely uninterested.

"At your date spot." Momo declares loudly.

Chaeyoung flushes a little and looks to her side to see if Mina is uncomfortable with what Momo said. She doesn't look too bothered.

"I'd like to be inside her head when she stares off into space like that." Tzuyu exclaims, repeating the sentiment from last night.

"Be careful what you wish for." Jeongyeon's tone is loaded, tinged with a little sadness.

Mina chances a glance at where Nayeon is. Her eyes are fixed on the waves gently brushing up the shore. Even though the girls are being loud, she looks too deep in her thoughts to notice what's going on around her.

So when an excited Momo jumps on top of her, she looks startled like she was woken up from a deep slumber but breaks into a smile when she sees Momo.

"I packed your swimsuit as well." Tzuyu drops the bag next to Nayeon who utters a quiet thanks.

Mina looks at the fairy lights hanging from the trees that brings back memories she's desperately running away from.

She smiles a little when she sees Tzuyu and Sana falling off the surfboard and flapping around in the water. Nayeon has been patiently teaching them for a while now but they still aren't getting any better.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" Chaeyoung asks, as she joins her side on the mat.

It's a warm sunny day, the skies are clear and blue and Mina thinks why not.

She takes off her t shirt and removes the sarong she's wrapped around her waist. She blushes a little when she sees Chaeyoung eye her body not so discreetly.

She usually goes for modest one piece swimsuits because she's never been confident about her body. She somehow misplaces it for the trip and ends up buying a two piece from a local store on their first day in Hawaii. Small shops unfortunately don't have a lot to select from.

If Chaeyoung could read what's going through Mina's head she would disagree and call it a fortunate turn of events because the girl is an absolute work of art and she has a hard time keeping her eyes to herself.

"Close your mouth. You're going to catch flies." Jihyo teases Chaeyoung when Mina emerges from the water like she is in the center page of a magazine.

"Some kind of expert you are." Tzuyu laughs loudly and Jihyo turns to look at them. She joins in the laughter when she sees Nayeon has fallen off her surfboard this time.

They take a sunbath lazing under the afternoon sun and talk about their trip fondly like they are back home already.

"I'm going to miss this place." Momo pouts and cuddles to Nayeon's side. Nayeon holds her and strokes her hair knowing how easily emotional the younger girl gets.

"Me too." Dahyun cuddles into her other side.

Sana wants to hug Nayeon too, she's always been the source of strength for the whole group.

"Move away. I want to hug Nayeon too." She whines trying to drag Dahyun away from her who just holds onto Nayeon tighter.

They're laughing and tickling each other two seconds later and Jihyo uses this window of opportunity to join by Nayeon's side that Dahyun has just left.

"Traitor." They yell at her accusingly. Jihyo shrugs, throwing them a cheeky grin.

"They're having a cuddle fest, do you want one too?" Jeongyeon offers with a smile, and Chaeyoung understands that she's calling truce.

"Fine, come here you big baby." She pulls Jeongyeon to her side who smiles brightly.

Chaeyoung opens her arm hesitantly towards Mina who contemplates it for a second. She remembers it's their last day here and joins Chaeyoung's side, releasing a soft breath when she's in her arms.

Tzuyu puts her camera on selfie mode and drops to her knees in front of them.

"Say cheese."

The shutter clicks snapping another happy moment between the girls.