Chaeyoung's POV
I bow to the driver of the only remaining van parked here at the yard of the house where we just shot the TTT New Year scenes. "Annyeong haseyo. Thank you for waiting for me."
I was the last one of the members to get out of the house since I felt the need to pee at the last moment when we were just about to go home.
I shyly walked to the inside of the vehicle. I was late after all.
I was first greeted by a playful roll of the eyes of Momo Unnie on the second row and then the usual bubbly smile of Sana Unnie on the third row.
Since the two older girls are already occupying the first two rows of the van, I thought I had to take the last row then so that we could each have a bit of our own space during the ride back home.
So, after I gave a grin to the two Japanese Unnies, I continued to walk down the path of the van.
"Oh." I was frozen for a second when I stepped near the back row and I saw the figure of Mina Unnie's upper body who had her head held down. She is slouching on her seat so I wasn't able to see her from the entrance of the van.
She is not noticing me at all though.
As I scanned her, I saw that there is a long white wire dangling from her ears down to her lap where her hands are placed over. Her fingers are busy pushing the buttons of her Nintendo switch and it is a no brainer that her eyes are pinned on the screen. Clearly in the middle of an important game. Hence, my presence is not acknowledged.
I sigh and just flashed a flat smile as I sashay my way to her side. Note to self. Nintendo Switch is greater than Son Chaeyoung.
As soon as my butt reached the cushion, I raised a thumbs up to our driver who had been staring at me from the rearview mirror, politely waiting for his last passenger to settle down first before shifting the vehicle's gear to drive.
When the car started moving, Mina Unnie must have felt it because she abruptly popped her head up. "We're leaving?"
I wanted to answer but she was looking straight ahead and maybe because the headset is still on her ear, she spoke a bit louder than her usual speaking voice, making Sana Unnie turn her head immediately to her.
Momo Unnie's head that was leaning on the side of the van's window was unfazed though. Did she doze off already?
Sana Unnie just smiled at the girl beside me and pointed a finger in my direction.
Mina Unnie turned to my side and was surprised by how she already now has company at the backseat. Yes, I'm here. She bows to the other Japanese member who just waves to us in dismissal.
Mina Unnie pauses her Nintendo Switch and removes her headset from her ears. "Chaeyoung-ah. I didn't know you already boarded the van."
I chuckle. "Because you were so busy with your game."
"Mianhae." She gives me an apologetic expression. "I was so focused on the race and the sound effects were blasting on my ear which is why I didn't notice you. Sorry. That was rude."
"No. It's okay." I pointed to her game device. "You can continue."
If this was some other girl who wanted to have more conversation with me, she would have told me that it's fine. She would have said that she can play when she gets back to the dorms.
And she would have done that so that we could have some time to ourselves here in a van where it is just the two of us on the backseat and cannot be bothered by the other members because we somehow have our own bubble.
But this is Mina Unnie we're talking about.
So, unfortunately but as expected, she gives me that gummy smile everyone loves and she nods at me. "Thanks."
I subtly sigh as she puts back the headset to her ears and begins playing Mario Kart again. To be honest, I'm just assuming it's Mario Kart because I can see cartoon characters in karts. I don't know a lot of virtual games.
I exhale sharply and let my back lean against the backrest of the seat, closing my eyes in succession. It has been a tiring day. But I enjoyed it. I'm sure everyone did.
I know I can't sleep as my mind began wandering on its own.
A lot of activities happened today at the shoot. We played a lot of different games. We ate a lot of different food. We laughed a lot. We talked a lot.
I try my best to not giggle at the memory of the specific game that I'm sure will make it to the core list of the favorite Michaeng moments by the fans. I'm a fan of my own ship myself so I know it was good enough to take a good spot.
The staring game. Highlight of the day. I lost big time though. It didn't take long enough before I was defeated.
If I think about it now, the duration will surely make it look as if I didn't even try to win. I roll my eyes at the thought of it. Because I did! I really did try to win!
It's just Mina Unnie and that kind of game is a very bad combination for my heart!
Not good. So not good. Very bad combination. Worse of all worse situations!
It was just a brief amount of seconds but I just couldn't survive that moment where her eyes were on me and my eyes were on her while everyone else in the room was watching us do it.
At one point, it felt like everyone was just waiting for us to say our wedding vows or something.
I smirk a little as I speak to myself. Wedding vows, huh? You poor blush-y crushing baby beast.
I'm not gonna lie. Mina Unnie is making it harder and harder for me not to pay attention to this teeny tiny admiration every passing day.
But then I remember how weird it is by how everyone seems to know the effects of that Myoi Mina plus staring battle combo on me. I slump my shoulders at the thought. Ugh. Everyone was teasing me during the game! They are like 'What's the matter with them?', 'Why are they acting shy?', 'What is happening with Chaeyoung?', 'Is Chaeyoung alright?'
And— Oh, my gosh. It's embarrassing how everyone was pointing out that my cheeks were as red as a tomato when I went back to the side after I lost!
Did I really blush after? I mean, all of them were teasing me so how could I not blush?! It's a natural response. Nonetheless, I'm sure the editors will make an interesting caption about that scene in the final video output. For some reason, everyone loves Michaeng so much that even the staff—
My train of thoughts was disrupted by a finger nudging my cheek. Unnie? I open my eyes and automatically turn to my one and only seatmate right now. This is going to be some kind of horror experience if it wasn't her. "Mina Unnie?"
This pretty girl beside me is wearing a gentle smile on her face. "I glanced at you and you were scrunching your eyebrows. Are you okay? Is everything fine?"
"I—" I point to myself like some kind of clueless kid. "I was? Scrunching my eyebrows?"
"Hmm. I'm... sorry if you're actually sleeping and I barged into your daydream—"
"No! No, no, no, no. I wasn't—" I wave my hands all over the air. "I wasn't daydreaming— Andwae. I wasn't doing that."
"Okay." She nods. The two of us were just looking at each other for about three awkward seconds. I don't know what else to say! So, the next second, she nodded to me again and decided to pick up her earphones, putting one to her left ear.
Back at it, huh? I can see she is going back to her game again so I lean back on the seat and close my eyes. Nintendo Switch is greater than Son Chaeyo—
To my surprise, I felt a thing slip into my ears as the sound of a lively unfamiliar background music plays. Huh? I dart my eyes open to my side and there I find Mina Unnie already grinning at me like a kid who has accomplished something nice.
"Chaengie." She raises her game device close to her face. "Do you want to listen while I play? I know it might not make any sense but this might entertain you a bit. You know, so that you won't scrunch your eyebrows."
I try my best not to smile like an idiot but I'm sure my lone dimple is betraying me like crazy right now. That's sweet. I'm not sure if I'm looking normal on the outside because I am screaming from the top of my lungs on the inside. What she just did is so freaking sweet!
"Okay." Calm yourself, Son Chaeyoung. I grinned and playfully bowed to her. "I am in your care now."
She just nods and smiles at me.
And so she rests her back again on the seat and puts the Nintendo Switch to her lap, then begins playing again.
The wire of the headset connected from my ear to her game device is enough to cover the small distance between us but I decided I should comfortably scoot over to her side so that I could also see the screen of her Nintendo Switch.
Technically, I could still watch the game from a distance earlier since the device's screen is big enough for my sight to get a good look at it. But who cares about technicalities? Right?
I cautiously put my chin over her shoulder to peek at her game. At the corner of my sight, I saw her glance at me for a second as I heard a faint giggle from her. Oh, my—
Please let there be heavy traffic on the roads we're about to take.
And as if this own space we have right now can't make my little crush on her get more exciting, my chin pressed on her right shoulder and my chest touching her back can feel the subtle breathing movement of her body. It's like I'm melting to her side.
I steal glances at her pretty face which I always commend for being beautiful all the time. I noticed how she bites her lower lip when the race gets intense. I witnessed how she can't hide her smile when she passes another mean looking character. And I find it cute how she scrunches her eyebrows when her kart is hit by random objects thrown by the other racers.
Wow. This is... How should I put this?
Magical?
This. Right now. Is magical.
The two of us in our own bubble feels like... sorcery. But not the bad kind. Because I feel enchanted, fascinated, captivated.
For some reason, I feel like it is just the two of us in this place right now. Momo Unie, Sana Unnie and the driver are not here with us.
And I feel like we're not in a moving van but sitting in some kind of grassland under a big old tree with its luscious leaves shading us from the heat of the afternoon sun.
I feel like there is no childish background music playing in our ears but there are birds chirping and hopping on the branches above us as the cool breeze feathery touches our skin.
And I feel like it is not afternoon, nor evening, nor Korean time, nor Earth time. I just feel like we are in our own universe. In a slowed down time. In a separate time. In a...
UGH! Is this what happens when you crush so badly with a dense pretty girl who has been with you for the past eight years and lets you be so close to her without a care in the world?!
"Chaeyoung-ah."
"Hmm?" Because I have been staring at her, I can see that her eyes are pinned on her game while her hands continue being busy with the Nintendo Switch even after calling out to me.
"Did you enjoy today?"
A soft smile draws to my face. "Of course. How about you?"
There was a pause from her end as she slightly tilted the game device to the right while her kart took a sharp right turn. "I always enjoy being with you." With me? "You all make our shoots always feel like we're just goofing around." Ah. Of course, with everyone. 'You all'. Not just 'you'.
"I did not make a lot of money though."
She chuckles. "You still made more than me, remember?"
"Nuh uh." I playfully roll my eyes. "Not if you're going to count your counterfeit vouchers and literally self made money."
"Ah." She giggles happily. "Right."
We both smiled at each other as silence fell upon the air surrounding us.
She went back on focusing on her game and I went back to watching her. Her game. I meant watching her game.
Like a teenage boy making a move on his crush, I awkwardly clear my throat as I raise my right arm to rest at the top of the backrest of our seat. I peek at her eyes after securing my arm at the back of her head, subtly touching her let down hair. No reaction. She's noticing me at all. And I'm not sure if I should be happy about that.
Nintendo Switch is greater than Son Chaeyoung.
Because there was a small space freed in between our bodies where my now raised arm was formerly occupying, I smoothly scooted even closer to her. Right next to her. I curiously observe her gaze. I swear I saw her eyes glance to my direction this time for a second as a small smile drew to her face.
But it was so fast because before my heart could react to that cutesy act, she was back being busy again with her game.
I sigh not so obviously because she will notice it. Or will she?
I have no choice but to also focus on her game this time like it shouldn't have been what I was expected to have been doing in the first place.
My earlier prayer still stands firm though.
Please let there be heavy traffic on the roads we're about to take.
And so, I'm not sure how many minutes have passed but I was put out of my dream when Mina Unnie suddenly paused the game. And because, unexpectedly, I was already kind of enjoying whatever race she was in, like an impulse to my interrupted unpaid VIP viewing experience, I turned my head to look to her side.
And my eyes widened.
As I gulp in heightened nervousness.
SO CLOSE!
Mina Unnie's face is right in front of me right now.
Right in front of me, I could effortlessly kiss her on the lips!
But of course, I won't do that.
As my eyes slowly relax, I can see that she doesn't seem fazed by our distance at all.
And it's crazy why none of us are leaning back to make a more comfortable breathing space between us.
Shouldn't that be our first response? I mean, I have a crush on her. I can justify why I'm not pulling back at this amazing opportunity but why is she—
Mina Unnie then chuckles and breaks our eye contact. What is this girl's deal? Is she playing with my heart? "Ya, Chaengie."
"Yeah?"
"That's how you should do it."
"Huh?"
"The staring contest." She chuckles without a care in the world. Like she did not almost make a poor blush-y crushing baby beast have a heart attack. "I just remembered how you horribly failed at it earlier. That's how you should've done it. See? You lasted way longer than before."
"A— ahh. Right. I—" I replied oh-so shyly, still not recovering from the abrupt part two of our staring battle that I clearly wasn't informed beforehand. "I didn't last that long in the game earlier."
She giggles and puts her head on my shoulder which almost made my heart jump out of my chest. This girl!
Under normal circumstances, I should be breezing through this scene right here just as fine as any normal day. However, I'm finding this interaction right now super duper extra not so normal!
Doesn't this moment right here right now look so... couple-ish?
Mina Unnie then resumes the race she is playing and once again our ears are filled with the background music from each of the earphones inserted in each of our ears.
I prolonged a sigh and began again my ritual of glancing in between the game and her face. All the while, I am mustering all the strength I have within me to not slide that right arm dangling on the top of the backrest of our seat from its risky place down to her shoulder... then to her arm... then to her waist.
I shouldn't do that, right?
But— Wait.
If Nintendo Switch is greater than Son Chaeyoung... then will Mina Unnie even mind if I try doing that arm move on her? She is once again immersed in her game. Will she even notice me if I do that?
UGH! What should I do?!
Gosh. My cheeks are burning.
And please let there be heavy traffic on the roads we're about to take.