Aphrodite's Spell

Scorching Summers

It's a night just like any other night in the dorm. Chaotic, cluttered. The ceiling lamps cast soft shadows against carpeted floors which are as messy as the residents sitting on scattered cushions, sharing food and drinks with friends.

It starts as a prank, playful, light-hearted, and Nayeon turns, the corner of her lips quirking up in a dazzling smile as she narrows her eyes at her room mate. She demands Momo to hand over her phone, voice loud but laced with exhaustion that's not unusual after three days of recording a music video.

Momo grins, denies taking her phone, though everyone in the dorm gathered for dinner knows it's a blatant lie.

"Right." The older girl drawls, certain that her phone is on loud. "So you surely wouldn't mind giving a ring to mine from your phone?"

"Sure Nayeon-chan." Momo laughs, dropping her hands from around Mina's arms, and pulls out a phone from her pocket, making the call earnestly, with an innocent look on her face.

Members' eyes dart around the living room when a phone begins to ring loudly, breaking the momentary silence.

"It's under the coffee table." Nayeon hums, bending down to pick it up off the floor. There's a frown on her face as she looks at the object she has retrieved. "It's not mine."

"It's mine." Mina looks almost flustered, stretching her arms out in front of her.

Nayeon's eyebrows pinches together, "I'm the one calling you." She turns to face Momo, rolling her eyes, "Give my phone."

"Took you long enough to figure that out." The younger girl teases and luckily Nayeon, although spent, is in a good mood, laughs.

She grabs her phone back from Momo and makes a move to give Mina her phone.

She falters mid step as her eyes accidentally flicker to the younger girl's phone screen. She isn't smiling now, there's something akin to hurt flashing in the downcurve of her full lips. "You have my number saved as Nayeon- Twice?"

Mina nods, lips parting as if to give an explanation, but is swiftly stopped with a - "I mean, it makes sense, you probably know more than one Nayeon." The older girl says shrugging to herself, fingers closing around the abandoned beer bottle.

The silence stretches for a while until Jeongyeon breaks a glass accidentally in the kitchen and everything returns to normalcy, back to chaotic and cluttered.

Jihyo pauses playing on the switch with Sana as she turns to consider Nayeon who's glancing out the window at the expanse stretch of the city below, lights glimmering in distance in the night sky. Her shoulders are stiff, a discomfort angling between them, an almost imperceptible sadness shining in her dark eyes.

Jihyo takes a few steps toward her, crouching on the floor, ducking her head to meet the older girl's eyes. Beneath the toothy smile, toned muscles, and gorgeous face, is a carefully hidden wounded look.

"If it hurts you, you should tell her." She points to Mina who's helping Jeongyeon clean the kitchen, with her eyes.

"What?!" Nayeon scoffs, focussing her eyes on the glossy bottle of beer in her hand, "It's nothing."

Jihyo sits down next to her, closing her eyes and exhaling a little puff of breath into the chilly night. It's not nothing, she knows, but she'll let Nayeon pretend that she's unbreakable, just until she's ready to talk.

Nayeon hears Mina first. She pauses outside the dorm door, turning on her heels, ready to rush down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" Momo asks, loudly, startling her a little. "Mina and Jeongyeon have come over. We need another hand to play cards. Hurry."