A Pretty Girl Next To A Pretty Girl

10. At Your Worst (2yeon)

Jeongyeon shut the door to her bedroom and tried to calm herself down. She took one deep breath and then another as she threw herself onto the bed and tried to ignore the fact that she had just lost her temper at her Twice members. Her arm was covering her eyes, unsuccessfully blocking out the shame she felt for treating her members poorly, when the bedroom door opened. Jeongyeon didn't even need to look to know that it was Nayeon who entered the room.

"Well, everyone is cleaning now," Nayeon announced softly.

Jeongyeon sighed. "I'll go apologize in a bit." Out of all the members, Jeongyeon was known to be the most stern about keeping the dorm clean, but today she had gone a little too far. "I don't know why I'm like this. I shouldn't have yelled at everyone."

She was stressed and everyone knew it, but Jeongyeon didn't want to make excuses for her behavior. It was a busy time and everyone was stressed, not just her.

"Everyone will forgive you," Nayeon stated simply. "We always do." Jeongyeon felt Nayeon's warm fingers intertwining with her own, fueling her regret over her behavior.

"You guys shouldn't have to forgive me. I need to learn to deal with my stress better. Who cares if the dorm gets a little messy? It's no reason for me to make everyone feel bad."

Nayeon's hand squeezed hers gently. "Jeongyeon-ah, if you didn't help us to keep this place clean, we'd be living in a garbage dump. So don't worry about it, OK? We'll go apologize when you're ready. Just lie here for a while and relax first."

Jeongyeon smiled a bit with her eyes still covered by her arm. "You just want me to take my time so you don't have to clean with the others."

A light giggle escaped Nayeon's lips. "Busted," she joked, and Jeongyeon couldn't help but giggle as well.

There was no one who could cheer up Jeongyeon better than Nayeon. They had been together for 9 years now and they knew everything about each other. They had seen each other at their best, but more importantly they had seen each other at their worst.

Their trainee years were terrible times of insecurity and self doubt. There had been days where they did nothing but hold each other's hands and cry. But whenever Jeongyeon had cried, Nayeon was there. And whenever Nayeon had cried, Jeongyeon was there, too.

"Would you love me more if I was a better person?" Jeongyeon asked, still unable to meet Nayeon's eyes as she laid on the bed.

There was a pause from Nayeon before she answered. "If you were a better person, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. I only love you as much as I do now because I've seen you at your worst."

Without looking at Nayeon's expression, Jeongyeon knew it was true. Their reward for supporting each other through difficult, uncertain, and ugly times was a love that was stronger than anything else in the world.

"Besides," Nayeon added, "I don't think I could love you any more than I love you right now."

Jeongyeon was quiet for a while, the squeeze on Nayeon's hand was the only indication that Jeongyeon had heard her. Nayeon smiled, knowing that her words had embarrassed the younger girl. And because Nayeon loved her so much--and perhaps to embarrass her further--Nayeon leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Jeongyeon's lips while Jeongyeon's eyes were still covered.

"No more talk about being a better person. Just be yourself, OK? I love you as you are," Nayeon murmured.

Jeongyeon gripped Nayeon's hand even harder, grateful that the love she felt for Nayeon was mutual. "I love you, too."