Destiny

Chapter 22

Mina keeps her eyes locked on Nayeon's as she joins them. The older girl keeps her eyes to herself, there's a faint smile on her face as she answers the interviewer's questions but Mina knows her all too well to believe they are sincere. She doesn't know how much time passes. She is dimly aware of the interviewer saying, "We have collected a list of embarrassing things you've done as a child." but she pushes his voice to the back of her mind.

Mina gazes freely at Nayeon. They've never been physically clingy, but no matter the distance between them she has always felt the closest to the older girl. They could be standing at the opposite ends of a room and Mina would still feel the pull between them. Nayeon is like the Sun, bright and burning, pulling everyone towards her energy and she'll always be the Pluto to her Sun, cold and insignificant.

"We got this from Mina's mother." The words drag her out of her thoughts cruelly. She feels a tinge of red coating her face. The first time around the embarrassment had been immense, and she hadn't expected to feel the same again. She's aware of every single pairs of eyes looking at her, eagerly waiting for her response.

"I wrote that when I was ten." Her blush burns through her cheeks.

"My Prince Charming would declare their undying love for me at the stroke of midnight on New Year's, under the moonlight, with a bunch of red roses." He reads from a journal paying no attention to how flustered she looks. "You must have read a lot of romance novels." He titters.

"I did." A bitter smile surfaces on her lips. She feels Nayeon's eyes on her as she continues, "I blame it for giving me unrealistic expectations of love." The rational part of her knows that fairy tales don't happen to real people but the child in her still secretly longs for her Prince Charming.

It snows that night. Mina hears Nayeon pulling her sheets up and settling on her bed. She looks out the window pane at the snowflakes falling, covering the trees in white.

An hour could have passed or two, she doesn't know but eventually her eyes grow tired. She rolls over a little and her gaze lands on Nayeon's back. She sees the rise and fall of her body with every soft breath she takes. It brings her peace until she realizes that in six days Nayeon would be taking her final breath. Mina feels the sorrow envelope her like a coat that's ill fitting- suffocating and drowning her.

Then Nayeon rolls over. She's not sleeping either. And Mina knows she should look away, but she doesn't. Their eyes lock over the short distance between them, and Nayeon's pensive look softens and the muscles in her face relax. There's something about those dark haunting eyes, something about that gaze she's sure she'll never find in another person.

With anyone else Mina would drop her gaze but with Nayeon she can't seem to look away. They say eyes are window to a soul and despite the walls that Nayeon has put up around her, Mina can see through them, see both the pain and gentleness inside her.

"The Princess always get their Prince Charming." Nayeon's gaze mellows into an open and honest look as she speaks with a quiet intensity.

Mina feels her throat closing up. "I don't get mine."

The moment the words leave her lips, her brain pauses. Like a puzzle that's coming together day by day, you are utterly clueless because there are missing pieces and suddenly one day all of them come together and you finally see the full picture. Like everything blurred coming into focus after wearing glasses.

Everyone moved on after her death. Except her.

You've never seemed too fond of Hei. Dahyun's voice drawls in her head.

She wasn't fond of Seo.

Then don't want things you shouldn't. She's spat jealously.

We always notice the traits of people we love in their family.

Your smile is so much like Nayeon-Chan's. She's told Nayeon's mother.

I'd do anything to get to see her face one more time. She's thought as she threw the coin into the river.

"Momo stop whining. It's giving me a headache."

"Nayeon is whining too but you told me she's adorable."

Don't talk about her in past tense. She's yelled. I still feel her everywhere.

The truth is finally clear to see. From the very beginning she had belonged to Nayeon.

She's in love with Nayeon. Always been.

She'd never get her Prince Charming because they're in love with someone else.

She'd never get her Prince Charming because they don't get to live long.

Death will win. Destiny will win.

And she'll have nothing again.