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mina cradles chaeyoung's face with such gentleness that you'd think she was made of glass as she carefully applies the eyeliner with a practised, steady hand. mina is gentle in every aspect of life, but none so more than when she is with chaeyoung. but not like chaeyoung is feeble, or like she needs it, but simply because mina cares so deeply for her. chaeyoung has always been grateful for mina. she helps her in a lot of ways, holds her hand through painful dinners with her relatives and took her to buy her first dresses and skirts. right now, chaeyoung is grateful for mina's steady hand, helping her with her makeup. chaeyoung is learning, but her hands still shake and feel clumsy with the brushes. mina's teaching her, with the patience of a saint, but today, chaeyoung had quietly asked that mina do her makeup herself. mina, ever loving, obliged.
they're going to a party tonight. one of chaeyoung's old friends, minhyung, is hosting it, and he will have invited a lot of people who chaeyoung has been friends with for years. he will have invited people who chaeyoung has not seen since she left high school. when chaeyoung got the invite texted to her from minhyung, she'd shown it to mina, who'd been making their dinner in the kitchen, with the phone threatening to fall from her trembling hands right into the kimchi jjigae.
"we don't have to go," mina told her right away. "you know i love a night in."
chaeyoung looks at the phone a little longer, and tells mina she'll think about it.
she did think about it, for a little over a day. chaeyoung is not an anxious person by nature, but circumstances of life have taught the trait to her and now she treads more carefully than she ever did when she was younger, and believed the world was a better place than it is. so she thought about it, and lay awake in bed across from mina and watched her peaceful breathing and the serenity in her face, and made a decision.
which brings her to now. mina's hands, her nails painted bright yellow, taking care as she applies chaeyoung's makeup for her.
"this is yellow blush," mina tells chaeyoung as she reaches for the product. it's in a silvery packaging, and chaeyoung catches sight of her own reflection in it, just for a second. she looks pretty. "it's called primrose yellow. i think it'll look good on you."
chaeyoung nods. "i trust you, unnie."
even though mina is done with her eyes, she keeps them shut for the rest of the time that mina spends finishing up her makeup. a sense of calm washes over her, and mina works quietly, making small sounds of satisfaction to herself every once in a while. chaeyoung doesn't fall asleep, she's too amped up on anticipation for the party, but like this, she almost feels like she could.
"all done," mina says. chaeyoung opens her eyes to see mina's back turned as she puts away the brushes and counts the moles peeking through the laced up back of her dress. she knows exactly where to look, and exactly how many to count, and she gets to four before mina turns back around.
mina did her own makeup before taking care of chaeyoung's, and she looks stunning, with a glossy pink lip and two gemstones glittering under each eye. chaeyoung swallows.
"you look pretty, unnie," she tells her. she reaches a tentative hand out and mina shuts her eyes to let her touch one of the gemstones. chaeyoung is careful not to jostle it and retracts her hand carefully. "i like these," she says.
"you can try them too, next time," mina says. she takes both of chaeyoung's hands in hers and pulls her to standing. "we have five minutes till the taxi arrives. you should get your purse."
chaeyoung nods. "okay."
they go down the elevator hand in hand, and chaeyoung spends the journey down the seventeen floors looking at her reflection in the walls of the elevator and marvelling at mina's handiwork. the yellow blush worked, somehow. primrose yellow, she'd called it. when mina meets her eyes in the mirror, chaeyoung beams at her.
the taxi driver drops them off right in front of minhyung's house - in fact, minhyung is there, sitting on the porch with a beer in his hand, and chaeyoung can see the lights and hear the music even from the street. minhyung is accompanied by one of his friends, but he abandons him to come bounding down to the pavement when he sees mina get out of the car. he's standing by the door when chaeyoung is smoothing down her skirt, getting ready to leave the car.
"ladies," minhyung says, grinning. "it's good to see you."
chaeyoung can't help the smile that blooms on her face.
"it's good to see you too."
