Uncovered (MICHAENG Anthology)

03. Games and Chaeyoung

Chaeyoung's POV

I bow to the driver of the only remaining van parked here at the yard of the house where we just shot the TTT New Year scenes. "Annyeong haseyo. Thank you for waiting for me."

I was the last one of the members to get out of the house since I felt the need to pee at the last moment when we were just about to go home.

I shyly walked to the inside of the vehicle. I was late after all.

I was first greeted by a playful roll of the eyes of Momo Unnie on the second row and then the usual bubbly smile of Sana Unnie on the third row.

Since the two older girls are already occupying the first two rows of the van, I thought I had to take the last row then so that we could each have a bit of our own space during the ride back home.

So, after I gave a grin to the two Japanese Unnies, I continued to walk down the path of the van.

"Oh." I was frozen for a second when I stepped near the back row and I saw the figure of Mina Unnie's upper body who had her head held down. She is slouching on her seat so I wasn't able to see her from the entrance of the van.

She is not noticing me at all though.

As I scanned her, I saw that there is a long white wire dangling from her ears down to her lap where her hands are placed over. Her fingers are busy pushing the buttons of her Nintendo switch and it is a no brainer that her eyes are pinned on the screen. Clearly in the middle of an important game. Hence, my presence is not acknowledged.

I sigh and just flashed a flat smile as I sashay my way to her side. Note to self. Nintendo Switch is greater than Son Chaeyoung.

As soon as my butt reached the cushion, I raised a thumbs up to our driver who had been staring at me from the rearview mirror, politely waiting for his last passenger to settle down first before shifting the vehicle's gear to drive.

When the car started moving, Mina Unnie must have felt it because she abruptly popped her head up. "We're leaving?"

I wanted to answer but she was looking straight ahead and maybe because the headset is still on her ear, she spoke a bit louder than her usual speaking voice, making Sana Unnie turn her head immediately to her.

Momo Unnie's head that was leaning on the side of the van's window was unfazed though. Did she doze off already?

Sana Unnie just smiled at the girl beside me and pointed a finger in my direction.

Mina Unnie turned to my side and was surprised by how she already now has company at the backseat. Yes, I'm here. She bows to the other Japanese member who just waves to us in dismissal.

Mina Unnie pauses her Nintendo Switch and removes her headset from her ears. "Chaeyoung-ah. I didn't know you already boarded the van."

I chuckle. "Because you were so busy with your game."

"Mianhae." She gives me an apologetic expression. "I was so focused on the race and the sound effects were blasting on my ear which is why I didn't notice you. Sorry. That was rude."

"No. It's okay." I pointed to her game device. "You can continue."

If this was some other girl who wanted to have more conversation with me, she would have told me that it's fine. She would have said that she can play when she gets back to the dorms.

And she would have done that so that we could have some time to ourselves here in a van where it is just the two of us on the backseat and cannot be bothered by the other members because we somehow have our own bubble.