Mina knows better. She knows better than to believe the images of herself plastered onto store windows, posted up on billboards, and masking the dank walls of the subway. As she hurries down the tunnel, she passes one. This particular one, she knows like the back of her hand, having stood in front of it in the wee hours of the morning when she’s particularly upset. Picture Mina smiles widely, her skin somewhat lighter than reality under the flash of the camera. High definition and blown up to 10 by 36 feet, she's the only thing in focus, her surroundings like a blurry backdrop. Picture Mina is ethereal, otherworldly, air-brushed to benevolent perfection. She can barely recognize herself.

Mina knows better. She’s no saint, especially not her. She enters the subway car, quickly reaching to pull her hat lower over her head, but not before a boy in the far corner of the tram meets her eyes. Get off at the next stop and forget you ever saw me, she murmurs under her breath, maintaining eye contact. 

“Apgujeong Station,” the PA system’s soothing voice announces. Sure enough, the boy exits the car, and Mina exhales. 

In these situations, she’s almost thankful for her power. Low exposure, despite the ever-growing fame. She’s sure the other members would kill to have even a fraction of her freedom. But for her, it’s also the reason she can never forgive herself. 

A few stops and a transfer later, she disembarks at Gangnam and makes her way to an apartment nestled down one of the side streets. She rings the doorbell.

“Mina!” Momo welcomes her in. “I was just about to have dinner without you!" Mina smiles back, although inside, she’s a bundle of guilt and nerves. Do I seem tense? she wonders. Will Momo notice? It won’t matter by the time she leaves, she supposes. 

“Don't lie, you always choose food over me,” Mina teases. 

Gasping in mock offense, Momo whines, “I like you plenty--I just like meat too!" To which Mina laughs, although the joke hits too close to home because she knows Momo likes her plenty, but Momo likes a lot of other things too, like dance, like manicures, makeup, and plushies, like Jeongyeon, and Mina knows her place. 

 "Shouldn't I rank higher than meat? I've known you for five years; you and that cow barely even know each other!" she sniffs.

"Her name's Betsy, and she's delicious." Momo grins as she pops a piece of steak into , exaggeratedly expressing her enjoyment, swiping her tongue across her lips and groaning. She has no idea the effect she can have. 

"What a destructive relationship." Mina rolls her eyes. "I think Betsy drew the short end of the stick here." (In reality, she would give anything to switch places, to be worshipped by Momo in such a way, even for a moment.)

"You don't understand. It doesn't matter if it's short-lived. What we have is special." Momo closes her eyes and lets out a hum of delight. 

"Is that how you justify all the girls you've dated?" she teases.

Momo giggles and chews thoughtfully. "I can't remember using that line on anyone, not even Jeong. And I'm not that bad." She waves her fork meaningfully. "Seen Chaeyoung recently?"

"No, not really, not since we all moved out of dorms" Mina responds, puzzled.

"Exactly." Shrugging, Momo chuckles, "Jihyo checked up on her recently and was left severely scarred." Her voice drops to a whisper. "Girls. Plural." 

"She learns from her unnies." Mina shoots her an accusatory glance. "You and Nayeon ruined her."

"Please, I'm not a playgirl. I'm just a serial monogamist." Momo waggles her eyebrows.