Shortly after, I followed her, wanting to change into something more comfy. I took four of the bags with me.
Arriving at Mina's room, she already opened her closet and was organizing some place for me in it.
For a moment I observed her, admiring how elegantly she looked, doing such a simple task.
When she had to tiptoe to reach a higher shelf, her shirt slipped up a bit and revealed her stomach and lower back, showing her milky skin. Not wanting to come off as a creep, I looked away and asked her where I should put my things.
"Just give me a minute or two. You can use the left side of the closet, it should be big enough."
Looking inside it I saw she was right. There would be enough space.
I put my bags down and went two more times back and forth getting the remaining clothes from downstairs.
After Mina rearranged the closet she turned my attention onto her. I was again inspecting her many action figures. She stepped beside me.
"I'm going to take a shower. When I'm finished, I could tell you some more about them." Smiling, I turned my head to her.
"Yeah, I'd like that." She returned it with her bright gummy smile and went out of the room. This action made my heart go faster again.
What is she doing to me? I want to see that smile all the time.
While Mina was in the bathroom, I used the time to change my clothes and put my stuff into the closet. I didn't have time to check them out yet and it was almost like opening up christmas gifts.
I was amazed by the taste of the girls and was really glad that they went such a distance to help me out.
I liked all the things they bought for me and I couldn't have chosen better. I put on black shorts and a dark red shirt with a white Puma print on it.
When Mina came back into the room, I was halfway finished organizing my things.
"Hey", she greeted me with her soft voice. Not turning around I answered her.
"You guys chose the clothes very well. I like them."
"Glad to hear that." After a short moment of silence in which I finished organizing my new shirts, I heard her going over to the PC and booting it. The low sounds of the machine were barely audible for me. "Do you mind if I play some games later?"
I turned to her, wanting to answer but the words got stuck in my throat. She was wearing a black shirt that just reached down to her belly button, grey baggy sweatpants and her hair was still wet. A sight I'd never forget.
She was a natural beauty. Without a single bit of makeup she was even more flawless than with it and for the first time I registered her moles. Five that I could count before her face turned into a confused state.
"What's wrong?" Quickly I looked away and turned back to the closet, pretending to adjust my clothes.
"Nothing, I just..."
"Are you not feeling well?" The concern in her voice was really heartwarming. "Let me feel your forehead."
I started panicking inside. If I let her touch me, I probably would've collapsed with a heart attack.
"No I'm okay, just tired. And I don't mind you playing games, it's your room after all."
After a short pause she answered. "No, it's our room from now on." That made me choke on my own spit. I never expected that she would be so straightforward. The last few hours during the shopping trip she barely spoke a word. She was really reserved, almost timid.
But since we came back home it was like she was a different person. She didn't seem so shy anymore. Like she opened her shell for me.
Maybe this is her real side? But why should she open herself up so early for me? Maybe she can relate to me in some way?
An awkward silence fell over us and I decided it would be nice to turn the conversation on a topic she's familiar with.
"So, the figures? I'd like to hear more about them." I stepped towards the big shelf and Mina did the same, standing next to me.
We talked for possibly half an hour. For most of the figures I asked about she had a more or less longer story. How she acquired them, what feelings she connects with them and why she chose them. Everything had a meaning. Usually something important that happened shortly before finding a figure.
It was really interesting hearing about it and it appeased me listening to her soothing, soft voice.
Just after Mina finished her story about a set of Duck Tales figures, we got interrupted by a knock on the door and Sana peeked inside the room, a big grin plastered on her face.
"Hey guys! What are you doing?"
"Oh, hey Sana." I responded with a grin of my own. You just can't resist it. "Mina's telling me some stories about her figures."
"I see. I heard you two are going to share the room." Sana pouted adorably and gave me the puppy eyes again. "I'm a bit sad Seungjae."
Oh dear lord, please have mercy on me.
"Why?"
"Because you didn't ask me to share my room with you."
"Uh-uhm, well, I-"
"I asked him if he wanted to and he said yes." Mina cut me off, her voice had a bit more power to it and it sounded quite bossy. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that she had her arms crossed.
"Why? Do you like him, Mina-ya?" Sana asked her bluntly, but with a bittersweet tone in her voice.
What?! Mina liking me?! No way! As if!
Hesitantly I glanced over to her but she now just looked to the floor. And with every bit of confidence lost, she answered lowly.
"No, how can I like him? We just met."
Exactly!
First I thought her answer was reasonable. But right away I felt sad.
But why pains it hearing her denying it?
"Good to hear. Then you wouldn't mind if I show him my room, right?" Without saying anything more, Mina turned around and went over to her PC. I looked after her but Sana grabbed my left arm.
"Let's go, oppa! Don't worry Mina-ya. I bring him back in one piece."
While Sana dragged me to her room, which was right next to Mina's, I was too baffled to protest against her and my thoughts were still on Mina's sudden change of mood. She was so energetic and carefree when she told me her stories, but after Sana asked her if she liked me, she was that shy girl again. Like she retreated back into her shell, shutting the world out and being wary again of what she says or does.
But it can't be because she likes me, right? If she does, then she could've said something. But on the other hand it's no big deal of Sana showing me her room, is it?
Before I knew it, I stood in the middle of Sana's room. It was way more colorful than Mina's and a bit bigger. When I looked around I saw that it had two beds. One with a purple framing on the left and one made of a light wood on the right. On the floor were some clothes scattered. A bit chaotic but not really dirty.
"It looks nice, doesn't it?" Sana sat down on the purple bed. "This is mine. Dahyunnie sleeps there." She pointed to the other one.
"Uh, yeah. It looks quite nice." I spun around and noticed some things.
A guitar and piano on the foot of Dahyun's bed. A couple of funky pictures on the walls, on Sana's side some shelves with an uncountable amount of perfumes and directly in front of one a...thong...a black lace one. My eyes grew wide and shocked I jerked my head away.
Sana followed my line of sight and to my surprise she chuckled. She lifted herself up from the bed and came over to me.
"You don't have to be shy." She adjusted her glasses before laying both her hands on my left shoulder and whispering into my ear. "I can show you how it looks on me." I felt my face getting really warm and my friend got a bit excited too. To my dismay she carried on, her warm breath tickling my ear and neck. "I have a fitting upper part for it." Unintentionally I imagined how she would look and had absolutely no clue how to react.
Is this a dream? It surely can't be reality. Why would she mean what she said? I'm just a stray dog they took home. She could have every guy from the street, probably most girls too. There's now way that anything she did and said today was meant the way it sounded. All must've been just a joke. Yes, right, it's just her joking around. But I could kiss her right now.
Right after thinking about kissing her, Mina came into my mind. How her mood just changed a couple of minutes ago.
Before I could think further, I asked what was on my mind.
"Why did Mina a complete 180 degrees turn when you talked to her just now?" I felt Sana stepping away a bit.
"Talk about killing the mood." She mumbled, and added normally. "She did?"
Pretending the last 30 seconds never happened, I tried to sound as casually as I could. "Yeah. She was all excited and energetic when we talked. But when you asked her if she...you know, if she likes me, she was all shy and reserved again." Sana took her time to answer and just looked me in the eyes, her head slightly tilted to one side.
"Don't worry too much about it. I think she needs that thought-provoking impulse." I was confused about what she meant by that.
"What do you-" She shushed me and pointed with one finger at me.
"Stop! Let's not talk about Mina now. She will be fine. How about I show you around?" Dumbfounded I just nodded. "You'll see my room enough in the future." And she chuckled again.
First she showed me the rooms upstairs. In the corridor of her and Mina's rooms were also the ones of Chaeyoung next to hers and Nayeon's next to the bathroom.
On the other part of the corridor were Jeongyeon's on the far right, Momo's on the far left and Tzuyu's on the left, across from another bathroom.
Downstairs I already knew the living room and dining area across the stairs and the kitchen. On the other side of the stairs was another smaller bathroom and around the corner another corridor that ended at Jihyo's room's door.
In the living room were Momo, Dahyun and Tzuyu watching some variety show I've never seen before. They were crumpled together on the couch I sat on before. Sana and I decided to join them (or rather Sana forced me to sit with her on the other one).
Shortly after I sat down and the beauty next to me hugged my right arm, my eyes landed on two bottles on the coffee table. Dahyun noticed it and quickly put them on the floor.
"I'm sorry. It still has to be uncomfortable for you."
"Well, 24 hours ago I never imagi-" Suddenly Dahyun and Momo sprung up and started singing 24 hours by Sunmi.
"I shib sa sigan! Uh uh uh! I shib sa sigan! Baby ba baby!" And they did the choreo to it, too; with crouching down and moving their hips.
They finished the chorus and I had no idea what I just saw. They sat back down like nothing happened and the blue haired girl gave me a bright smile.
"Go on, what did you want to say?" I decided to not mind it and just ignore that they just danced.
"Uhm, twent-"
"No, don't say it. Not again." Tzuyu cut me in an annoyed tone off.
"Okay...So, until today never in my dreams I would've thought that creatures like you existed." Dahyun's smile vanished and her expression turned to a hurtful one. The other one's too. The mood just changed sides.
Did I say something wrong?
"Creatures...that's how people would see us if they knew we existed." Momo mumbled, clearly sad. Then it clicked.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. But what are you then?"
Dahyun tried to smile, but it was still a sad one. "Technically we are humans. With a different kind of DNA. What did Jeongyeon tell you already?"
"Just that you need to drink blood and that you age way slower."
She nodded understandingly, though I didn't know what she could've understood. "Then let me tell you a story. Our story. The story of our kind."