Destiny

Chapter 2

The show has to go on.

Life has to move on.

So Mina gets back on stage after thirteen months, puts on her professional face, faking a smile whenever she's required to.

They're at the rehearsals on the stage. The other girls try to joke and lighten up the mood, but Mina is painfully aware of the missing member.

Through the corner of her vision, she sees a bunny stuffed toy being thrown onto the stage. She looks around to see who threw it but the staff and camera crew seem occupied with their work.

Where did you come from? She takes couple of steps forward, arm stretched out to reach it.

"Mina, careful." Her manager yells as a loud crash sounds behind her.

She picks up the toy in trembling hands, her eyes widening when she sees a set light shattered on the floor.

"Are you okay?" The girls rush towards her.

Later she learns, a screw has loosened and if she hadn't taken those few steps forward, the heavy focus light would have crashed right on top of her, killing her instantly.

It's not the first time she has felt Nayeon is still around, protecting her, watching over her. Nayeon has always been protective of her, never leaving her side when she needed someone to pull her through, with a smile shining in her dark eyes.

"Minaya, are you still upset over your breakup?" Nayeon steals a French fry from her plate, sitting by her side.

Mina gives her a reassuring smile. "You know I'm not."

Momo and Mina's relationship only lasts six months, because even though the sex is good there is no spark between them. They decide to end it because even after six months neither of them feels the need to say the magical three words.

"You will talk to me if something bothers you though?" Nayeon masks the concern by trying to playfully reach for the last of the French fries.

"Of course Nayeon-chan." Mina gives it to her willingly.

Mina gets up from her bed when she hears a window rattle in the living room. She shuts it and turns on the television because her thoughts are keeping her up anyway.

Kookeu who's sleeping on a mat by the front door walks to Mina's side and lays quietly by her feet. Mina stares at the front door for a little while.

"Where are you going?" Jihyo narrows her eyes at Nayeon who is wearing a white jumper, blue jeans and a beanie. She looks like a child up to mischief.

"I'll be back in ten minutes." She puts her boots on, picking up her car keys in a rush, knowing Jihyo would stop her if she stayed a while longer.

Mina looks out the window at the snow falling slowly and steadily. An uneasy feeling grows in the bottom of her stomach. She shakes it away.

"Nayeon-chan." Mina goes to the door, and hands her phone. "You left this on the table."

"Thank you Minaya." Her eyes twinkle and lips quirk up in an adorable smile. Mina feels an overwhelming urge to hug her, but her shy nature stops her and she doesn't.

Mina wishes that instead of giving her the phone, she'd stopped her from stepping out the door, hugged her when she had the chance to before she slipped away forever. She wishes she'd taken a moment to look at her beautiful childlike innocent face which always brought so much happiness to everyone around her.

Mina closes her eyes as flashes of black and gray letters on her headstone rolls through her mind.

Her attention is drawn by Kookeu walking towards Nayeon's room and nuzzling his face against the door making soft mewling noises.

As if walking in a daze, she walks towards the room she's avoided for a year.

She flicks on the soft light in the bedroom.

The nothingness she has felt for a long time dissolves to sadness when she realizes that the scent of the older girl that usually lingers in the room is fading.

She opens the wooden cupboard with trembling hands and pulls out the Bugs Bunny sweater she always wore on harsh winter days. Her scent is faint, but it's comforting and Mina pulls it over her head.

She sits on Nayeon's bed staring at the empty walls. The girls have taken down her pictures because they couldn't deal with looking at something they've lost everyday.

Mina hugs the sweater tighter around her and snuggles into its warmth.

Kookeu snuggles into her side as she looks around the room.

Nayeon is gone. The light in her eyes consumed by death's darkness.

All she has left is a fading scent in her room and clothes. Soon, that will be gone too.

The reality finally crashes on her. Her lips quiver as waves of pain washes over her and her body convulses to meet each one.

She is not going to see Nayeon's playful eyes twinkling with mirth, big soft hands stealing food, lips biting back a smile trying to act innocent while playing a prank, strong arms giving out comforting hugs, voice whining incessantly when she's hungry and face going soft when she sleeps.

"She looks so cute." Dahyun cooes, as the house becomes finally quiet because Nayeon is fast asleep on the couch.

"My ears were starting to hurt." Jeongyeon laughs but shuffles the hair on Nayeon's head affectionately. "I'm glad she fell asleep."

"It's like living with a baby." Jihyo snorts. "You want them to sleep so you can catch a break, but the moment they go to sleep you miss their cute antics and want to wake them up badly."

Mina throws a soft glance at Nayeon.

"Put chocolate on top of the pizza." The older girl mumbles in her sleep.

Chaeyoung muffles a laughter behind her hand and records Nayeon as she continues to describe her pizza toppings.

Mina bites her trembling bottom lip.

"You said you'll come back in ten minutes."

But she didn't.

And now she's never getting to see her again, never going to hear her talking in her sleep, never going to hear her loud voice ringing with laughter.

"Why did you lie, Nayeon-chan?" A sob breaks through her throat as her voice cracks and her heart clenches painfully. "Why?!!" She clutches at her chest with her hands as she bends over and lets the cries wreck her body.

"Why??" She wails loudly, as more tears and
anguished cries begin their assault on her.

Kookeu sits with her silently.

"Let her." Momo stops Jihyo with a hand to her wrist, even as her own eyes pool with tears. "She needs to cry. She needs to let the grief out."

The seven girls huddle together as the gut wrenching sobs from Nayeon's room echo through the night, breaking their hearts in the process.