What the heart wants

Chapter 48

Mina saw this coming. She can't pretend to herself any longer because the reality is right in front of her. There's only so much illusion one can live in, the truth however difficult it might be to swallow, has to be accepted for the sake of one's own sanity.

"Jeongyeon put me down." Chaeyoung squeals as the older girl carries her towards the pond threatening to drop her in the water. The camera crew captures the happy moment carefully.

Mina plasters a smile on her face because the lenses are watching and the crack in her shield can't be seen by them. She continues to walk with Jihyo exploring the long stretch of green forest surrounding them.

Nayeon who's skipping stones in the pond tells Jeongyeon to stop scaring the younger girl. She's smiling and talking but Mina sees that it doesn't really reaches her eyes.

The twinkle in those elusive orbs are missing and her complexion looks paler than normal. The smile is so lifeless it scares Mina just to look at her. She wants to reach out and hold her hand because she can relate to this pain, she knows and is familiar with this dark place, she has felt more pain than any human could bear and it breaks her heart to see Nayeon go through the same.

When the camera stops rolling, the girls and the crew look around for a spot to have some food.

"Can we eat by the river?" Momo points to the muddy river bank, her face falling when Tzuyu explains why that's not the best place for a picnic.

Mina's eyes catches a beautiful wild flower hanging from a vine that's wrapped around a tree. The sweet, almost sickly smell of the yellow flower seems to cut through the soft scent of the dewy grass in the forest.

Chaeyoung notices what she's gazing at and asks in a soft tone, "It's beautiful right?"

"Yeah." Mina whispers in awe.

Tzuyu, ever the practical person and the voice of reason points out. "I wish I could get it for you but it's too high."

Mina smiles at her softly to show it's okay.

"Mina's always reaching for things beyond her grasp." Dahyun jokes because Mina has a habit of leaving her groceries on the top shelf where she can't reach.

Nayeon doesn't miss the light go out in Mina's warm eyes when she hears the words. She doesn't miss the tiny curve of her lips straighten into a thin line. She doesn't miss the flicker of pain on her beautiful face.

When they finally find a spot and have their food, Nayeon's eyes flicker to where Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung are sitting side by side, their shoulders bumping, faces blushing when one of them says something, eyes twinkling as they talk and lips curving in shy smiles when they look at each other.

She glances back at Mina who's quietly nibbling on her sandwich. Her heart twists painfully in her chest when she realizes she's not really eating at all.

"Where's Nayeon? God I am going to buy those child leash for her if I have to search for her one more time." Jihyo's voice is clipped and mildly irritated.

Fortunately for Nayeon, she makes an appearance just on time. Her face looks flushed, the rosy color on her cheeks more prominent and she's breathing hard like she'd been running.

She rests her hands on the straps of backpack, and mutters an apology under her breath. Jihyo lets it slide because Nayeon looks beyond exhausted.

It's almost dark when they reach home. Mina applies the night cream on her face and shuts the door to the bathroom softly.

The full moon shines brightly outside the window, its light peeking through the glass and soaking the living room.

Mina is about to go to her room when a soft voice stops her.

"Mina." The younger girl watches with her soft eyes as Nayeon bring her hand out to the front. In them, is the delicate bloom Mina found in the forest.

Nayeon extends her hand offering it to her.

Mina takes it and holds the flower in her fingertips so she doesn't crush it accidentally.

Nayeon watches in rapt attention as the brilliant yellow petals of the flowers bestows an unearthly glow on Mina's freckled face. She sees a small smile playing on the corner of her bee stung lips.

Nayeon turns around to leave, content she was able to put a smile on her face, the pained expression wiped out at least for a moment.

A hand on her wrist stops her.

"Nayeon-chan." Mina looks at her, her eyes blinking back tears.

Nayeon briefly wonders if she had done the wrong thing.

But then Mina is softly smiling at her through those tears and leaning on her toes to leave a fluttering kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you." She hears her breath out.

Mina's eyes blink for a heartbeat of a moment and the dark brown orbs that's so intensely looking at Nayeon is covered by the shield of her long and soft looking eyelashes.

Nayeon nods and steps back from the younger girl.

"Goodnight Mina." Her voice comes out raw and hoarse as she looks into the warm eyes of the younger girl.

"Goodnight." Mina whispers softly and watches with a fond gaze Nayeon disappearing behind the door of her room.