Chapter Text
They were friends. The most ordinary of friends, who, despite all their history, were now closer to acquaintances than they were friends. They had different close circles, hung out with different people, had polar food preferences, and prioritised different things in life. In fact, if Twice were to disband now, then by the second year they would have likely lost contact with one another.
Of course, that was not the case from the start. It materialised gradually between hectic schedules, personality differences, and general growing up.
Then of course there was the other facade to their story. The side that no one else knew. Certain… arrangements, shall we call them?
It starts the same way everytime. Almost ruthlessly clinical and methodical at this stage. It starts with clear indication of want, or:
Your place or mine?
The rules, as much unspoken, were simple. It was the requestor’s responsibility to determine if they had time for it, and the acceptor’s responsibility to secure or decide a place for it.
In their arrangement, desire was to be given a timetable. It does not claim, it only settles for that narrow point of release stemming from meticulous planning.
No midnight hits, no last minute screws. Sex is messy but never for them.
And consequentially every schedule ends the same way. No lingering, no overnights, no morning-afters. The visitor always leaves immediately after. In-and-out. And with more order than a fast food chain.
Yes, they were friends. Friends, with benefits.
“Why is this not sustainable?” Tzuyu asked innocently.
Everyone was lounging in the green room. They had 2 hours till the soundcheck, and rehearsals and technical checks have all concluded punctually. The team decided to have lunch together in the green room, and were just digging into whatever buffet selections they had on their plates. DaChaeTzu were sitting properly on one of the sofas, their plates neatly balanced on their laps. JeongJiMi were leaning on each other on another sofa, passing a plate around to share. NaMoSa were, of course, sprawled on the floor, each taking a side of the oval tea table, forming a triangle of sorts around it. They were the ones that needed the table the most, and even the table was unable to keep them from dropping some food on the floor (or on themselves).
Twice, as usual, were discussing about anything under the sun. The latest was about a recent company FWB discovered in JYP. Everything turned ugly when one party broke off the arrangement to get into a relationship with someone else. Basically, it was a howl-fest in the office lobby, something that became a hot topic even for them on tour.
“It’s sustainable,” Nayeon quipped, “So long as neither party has a heart.”
Heads turned to look at their eldest, surprised at the depth of her brief statement. Nayeon’s always been the insouciant type during these discussions, and she had a strong preference for arguing against whoever’s opinion instead of divulging her own views. So it was obviously a surprise whenever she divulged any sort of insight to what could potentially be her opinion.
“What do you mean, Unnie?” Chaeyoung asked tentatively. The room was unusually silent, everyone unanimously holding their breaths in anticipation of Nayeon’s explanation.
But the eldest was oblivious. She was too focussed on peeling a prawn, her tongue nipped aside by her teeth in utter concentration.
“Gah! I’m not eating this.” Nayeon threw her utensils down in submission when the prawn slipped out of her grasp for the fourth time in a row, only to catch the eye of eight curious girls staring at her. “What?”
“Chaeng asked why, Unnie.” Jihyo prompted.
“Why? Oh why do they have to be heartless?” Nayeon clarified the question to a round of nods. “Hmm.” Introspection has never been her strong suit. “It sounds… right?” She grinned.
“I mean, it kinda makes sense, no?” Nayeon continued, “if they both didn’t think much of it, nothing would have happened.” She drew their thoughts back to the gossip.
“That actually sounds kind of legit, Unnie,” Momo mused, “You sound like you speak from experience!” That earned her a glare from Jihyo - as a girl group, there were things you should and should not be commenting on in public. Anything with an insinuation of this extent was just going to be fodder for gossip on them - a clear no-no. “Sorry Unnie…”
“Nah,” Nayeon refutes, glaring at Jihyo herself because the leader terrorised her loyal little peach, “I didn’t even catch that. Momo-ya you want some of these prawns?” She pushed her plate towards Momo.
“You just want me to help you peel them…” Momo grumbled softly, pulling the plate closer to her to help.
“Hehe - that’s right,” Nayeon laughed mischievously, and so did the rest of them who caught the exchange, all previous conversation now forgotten.
No one noticed a figure tensed up at Momo’s question earlier, and not how the person’s laughter was unnatural and nervous instead of joyful.
Mina picked yet another grain of rice off Momo’s cheek, something she found herself doing more and more often these days. They were hanging out after the concert in Mina’s room, a kind of recent post-concert ritual. The ritual consisted of dinner, Mina’s post-dinner Switch-time, and Momo falling asleep on her couch until the next morning.
“Mfanks,” Momo beamed at her from behind her bowl. She then leaves another grain there on the same spot, which Mina made it a point to ignore.
“I don’t really get the discussion earlier,” Momo brings up between mouthfuls. She was referring to the lunch topic in the green room. “Actually I don’t get why people end up like that. It feels… wrong.”
Mina does not know much either, but she found herself oddly sympathetic. “Between the two girls… it seemed like one party may have been a coward, but the other was heartless.” She guessed.
Momo nodded, so she assumed it was an acceptable response.
They finished the rest of the dinner in silence, but Mina was not in the mood for her games. Instead she lounged on her bed, watching show on Netflix. Something with an entirely forgettable title. At the end of the show, she walked to the bathroom to wash up for the night. Momo was fast asleep on her couch. She was the consistent one.
“Maybe that’s the same for all fwbs.” The ridiculous thought came to Mina. She was not sure what kind of benefits she meant.
13:08
Your place or mine?
19:15
Mine. 9pm.
20:59
Here.
Two clicks, and the sound of the door chain being unhinged. The room owner pulled the door in without a word.
The visitor stepped in with equal silence, closing the door behind her with practiced ease.
The moment the door clicked shut behind her, Nayeon leaped into Jeongyeon’s arms, her arms hanging off the latter’s neck while her legs wrapped cross against her waist.
“You were slow,” Nayeon breathed against Jeongyeon’s lips, tone accusatory.
“You were early.” Jeongyeon responded, biting back on the older girl’s lips. “Wait,” She pulled back slightly, “The door chain.”
Nayeon attacked her lips with an increased ferocity from before. “No one’s gonna come in.” Her tone finally, although she reached a hand back to hook the door chain, her lips never leaving Jeongyeon’s.
“There. Done.”, She said as they hear a lock and a jingle of the chain. “Now me.”