Operation: Win Nayeon's Heart - Day 1 of 7

Despite sleeping late, Jeongyeon woke up at 6AM in the morning. Hurriedly climbing out of bed- startling Nanan in the process- she made a run towards their bathroom before any of her sisters got there first. God Jihyo knows how much time they spend in there- doing whatever it is they are doing- even during workdays and she wasn't sure when Nayeon would arrive.

The plan was quite simple for the first day. It wasn't even much of a plan, more like a task she had to accomplish. There wasn't much she could do since she was sure Nayeon would definitely have planned something for the both of them to do for the day and she currently wasn't that capable of doing anything that required physical effort (her family would come in handy in this case). Instead, she opted for one of the little things she knew Nayeon would appreciate.

Complements.

Was it worth it stroking Nayeon's already huge ego? Maybe. Though she wasn't used to showing much affection, especially towards Nayeon, she can afford to make an exception just for this day. In fact, she was prepared to take all kinds of liberties for Nayeon this week.

Would it make Nayeon fall for her? She hopes it'd be one of the reasons. Complementing Nayeon is just one step of what she assumed would be a lengthy process to winning Im Nayeon's heart.

She showered as fast as she could- it took her at least forty-five minutes since she couldn't move her neck much with her neck brace on- and dressed herself in new pajamas, tucking herself back in her bed. Another part of her plan was to stay in bed for the whole day.

The purpose of this is to have Nayeon dote on her and maybe have her do anything Jeongyeon wants since the former had promised the day before to be at Jeongyeon's every beck and call. By accepting Nayeon's offer to take care of her, Jeongyeon would somehow lose her constant need for independence and not make her seem too uptight, ultimately ensuring that Nayeon can be comfortable helping her without her snapping at the older girl often just because she can handle herself. At the same time, having Nayeon do whatever she wants helps maintain her naughty streak since a sudden complete change of character would be too obvious that something could be going on. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to keep Nayeon on her toes.

Additionally, though Jeongyeon was aware Nayeon would take care of her like a good unnie, she was also aware Nayeon would take advantage of her restricted movement to initiate skinship whenever she wants in the guise that hugs and kisses would help Jeongyeon heal quicker and Jeongyeon would let her... but only for today. She can't handle accepting hugs and kisses for the rest of her life without a fight, even if it was Nayeon.

And yes, she thought all this through like she was a strategist planning for a war. I'm doomed, Jeongyeon thought. We aren't even going out yet and I'm already whipped for her.

A ring was her from her left, where her phone lay on the bed. As she grabbed it, she noticed the warmth that was left by her dog who lay on that part of the bed not too long ago. She wondered where Nanan had gone and assumed the dog had gone out while Jeongyeon was in the shower to be fed. Jeongyeon was feeling a little hungry herself but she'd wait until her mother knocked on her door. That or Nayeon could bring it for her when she arrives. Breakfast in bed sounded pretty good.

Speaking of Nayeon... could she be the one calling her? Jeongyeon checked the caller ID and found it was Jihyo who was calling her. "Yeoboseyo?" she answered.

"Aren't we early today?" Jihyo asked, her voice teasing.

"I could say the same for you. Did you wake up this early just to tease me?"

"Don't be so full of yourself, Jeong. You're not that special."

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Let me guess. Danny?" she said the name in a cutesy way, probably to imitate or irritate Jihyo or both.

A few seconds of silence came from the other line. Then, "Shut up."

Jeongyeon guffawed at the weak comeback. "Two can play at this game, Ji. By the way, how'd you know I was awake at this time?"

"I didn't. I just wanted to call and annoy you, I wasn't sure if you were still asleep or not. Anyways... how's Operation: Win Nayeon's Heart going?"

Jeongyeon clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Aish, can everyone stop calling it that?! I get enough trouble from my sisters repeating it whenever I'm around, I don't need to hear it from you."

"That's what makes it entertaining, you know. I live to embarrass and annoy you."

"Whatever. Nayeon's coming over any minute now and you probably have a date with Danny boy so I'm going to drop this call. Annyeong, Thomas!"

"Why, you little-" Jeongyeon dropped the call as fast as she can before Jihyo could cuss her, wheezing with laughter the whole time.

Their little friendly banter early in the morning had Jeongyeon in a good mood and it was all because of Jihyo's call. It didn't even matter if the call was short-lived and mostly about them infuriating each other. They may seem like eternal rivals but their relationship with each other was deeper than that. Jihyo is her best and longest friend, a sister in all but blood. Them bickering all the time was their own unique way of showing affection to each other. They both were averse to kisses so that was something they wordlessly agreed never to attempt with each other and they were happy with that decision.

A knock on her door escaped her attention as she was still laughing. Only when her mother opened the door and peeked in did she finally stop laughing, wiping a tear that almost fell from her eye. Her mother smiled at how her daughter looked so happy.

"What's got you all cheery this early, huh?" Her mother asked.

Jeongyeon cleared her throat before speaking. "Oh, nothing much. So what's up?"

"Breakfast is ready downstairs, grab some if you get hungry. Your father, sister, and I need to get back to the restaurant and your Seungyeon-unnie has some errands to run so you'd be left alone with Nayeon for the most part of the morning until probably later in the afternoon, depending on when she decides to leave. We won't be home until six later. We'll also be bringing some food from the restaurant for dinner so don't order takeouts. Oh, and your imo might be coming over to drop Tan."

Jeongyeon smiled a little at the mention of the Jindo they adopted just a few months ago. She was expecting to play with him when she arrived yesterday but it turns out her imo borrowed him for a day so her little cousin could play with him. "Arasseo. Is that all?"

Her mother walked towards her and pecked her on the forehead. "Take care of yourself more, please? I don't like seeing my daughter like this."

Jeongyeon nodded obediently. "I'll try to, eomma."

"And I'll make sure of it, eomeonim." A voice from behind them chimed in. It was Nayeon standing on the doorway, holding a wooden food tray with a couple of bowls in it, a glass of water, and utensils on top of it. Jeongyeon took the time to appreciate how she dressed herself for the day.

Her short hair was tied halfway with a bright red ribbon at the back. She wore a button-up, collared A-line, pastel peach dress, the skirt stopping just above her knees. The waist of the dress was quite fitting already but she had a thin white belt tied around it to add more definition. A pair of white open-toed sandals adorned her rather large feet. She wasn't wearing any jewelry since she was only going to spend the day in their house. Jeongyeon thought she'd never looked more stunning in such a simple outfit.

Nayeon gave a little bow in respect and made her way to place the tray on the desk beside Jeongyeon's bed.

"Omo, you're just in time. We were about to head out," Jeongyeon's mother said. "I trust you'll take care of our maknae, Nayeon."

Nayeon gave a salute with one arm glued to her side and feet together- she was standing too straight that her back was a little bent- in an exaggerated, soldier-like pose. "You can count on me, eomeonim!" she proclaimed with a slight pout.

The middle-aged woman giggled at Nayeon's antics while Jeongyeon just rolled her eyes. Seeing her salute with an aegyo was pretty weird and cringe-y but it didn't fail to make her heart skip a beat. Jeongyeon's mother returned the salute and proceeded to exit the room. Nayeon bowed a little as she passed then she and Jeongyeon were left in the room.

...

"What about you, unnie?" Jeongyeon said while chewing on a piece of meat.

Jeongyeon was propped up her headboard with a pillow behind her. She had a wooden bed tray in front of her, happily digging in to a full Korean breakfast in front of her. Nayeon had made sure to grab extra pieces of meat for her, knowing Jeongyeon's love for the particular food. But while Jeongyeon was stuffing her face, Nayeon just sat patiently on the desk beside her bed and fiddled with her phone.

"Oh, don't mind me. I ate breakfast before I left home," Nayeon said, smiling. "Are you ever going to get tired of eating meat?"

Jeongyeon stupidly tried to shake her head in response- forgetting about the neck brace- but only ended up awkwardly moving her head and body sideways. Nayeon just laughed at her antics.

"Arasseo, arasseo. Don't try to move your neck too much."

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. "What makes you think I can move my neck with this brace on?"

"I don't know with you, pabo. You were the one who tried to move."

Jeongyeon just scoffed and went back to inhaling her food but in a slower pace than usual. She didn't want to argue with Nayeon this early in the morning so she refrained from retaliating. Instead, she beckoned Nayeon towards her with a wave of her hand. "Come here, unnie."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Rolling her eyes, Nayeon sat on the bed beside Jeongyeon. "Open your mouth," Jeongyeon said, lifting up her chopsticks, a piece of meat dangling in between. "I can't enjoy my food with you just sitting there, waiting for me to finish. So eat up."

"You don't need to, you know," Nayeon grumbled but she accepted the piece of meat. While chewing, she continued, "Shouldn't I be the one feeding you or something?"

"You won't be able to keep up with me, it's better I feed myself."

Though Nayeon had assured Jeongyeon that she'd already eaten, she kept accepting the pieces of food Jeongyeon gave her which made the latter chuckle. She held another piece of meat by her chopsticks but paused mid-air. Nayeon's mouth was wide open as she expected Jeongyeon to feed her again. "Admit it, you're hungry."

Nayeon closed her mouth and scoffed. She grabbed Jeongyeon's wrist and pulled the meat towards her, consuming it. "What if I said I just like you feeding me?"

Jeongyeon's nostrils flared at the flirting. No matter how many times Nayeon has done it, she still couldn't get used to it. Normally, she'd cringe or push Nayeon away but she decided to be different today.

"Well then, just tell me if you want more. You know I'll do anything for you," she said with a straight face, trying to stay nonchalant even though every cell in her body is telling her not to continue with what she is doing. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she can hear it ringing in her ears. She prayed Nayeon won't be able to hear it.

She made Nayeon blush this time but she tried to hide it with a smile. "Jinjja? What if I want you to feed me all the time?" she challenged jokingly.

"Then I'll do it. I mean what I said, unnie, anything for you," Jeongyeon looked at her straight in the eyes.

Nayeon tried to hold her gaze but ended up becoming redder, she had to avert her eyes from Jeongyeon's. She cleared her throat. "What the hell is in that meat? You're never this flirty."

Jeongyeon chuckled a little. "Now you know how it feels when you do it to me."

Her words caught Nayeon's attention and she began to smirk. She'd been on the end of the teasing for a few seconds but Jeongyeon may have forgotten, she's the self-proclaimed queen of flirting. "You like me flirting with you?"

Jeongyeon lost her smile instantly. "What are you talking about?"

Nayeon leaned forward a little. "You implied that you feel the same thing I'm feeling right now whenever I flirt with you and I like you flirting with me. Admit it. I already know you like me, Yoo Jeongyeon, and yet you still deny it."

Jeongyeon scoffed. She's really good at this, I'll give her that, she thought. She wasn't about to back down, though. She also had a competitive streak within her, just like Nayeon and Jihyo and she isn't one to back down from a challenge. She assumes she acquired some of that competitive energy from the both of them throughout the years.

Verbally, she replied, "You know, you keep asking me whether I like you or not. Why would you want to know if I like you unless you have a crush on me?" She leaned forward and put on a seductive smirk... or rather a pale imitation of a seductive smirk from someone who has an unattractive brace around their neck, given that her lips merely quirked upwards in true Jeongyeon fashion. She looked creepy rather than seductive.

Nayeon chose not to comment on it. "Fine, I have a crush on you. What are you going to do about it?" She leaned forward as well and if the bed tray wasn't in between them, they may have had just inches separating their faces. Regardless, they were still quite close, up to the point where Jeongyeon can feel Nayeon's breath fanning her face. Her breath smelled of the meat she ate not too long ago and there was a hint of mint, probably from the mouth wash Nayeon uses regularly.

Jeongyeon let her eyes rake over Nayeon, obviously checking her out. Her eyes purposely lingered over Nayeon's plump, glistening lips. Nayeon may have not put on makeup but she can't go out without applying her fruity lip gloss. Jeongyeon had the urge to lick her lips to find out what flavor Nayeon used this time. "Well, judging from that outfit, I can definitely say you are trying to impress me. You're really cute and pretty right now," she said with utmost confidence. "Keep it up and I won't mind dating you."

Nayeon turned crimson at the statement and Jeongyeon knew she had won. She leaned back against her bed with a smug grin etched on her face. She shoved another piece of meat in her mouth in celebration. She offered another one to Nayeon who was still staring at her in shock with her mouth hanging open. Grinning mischievously, Jeongyeon deposited the piece of meat in Nayeon's open mouth and the latter chewed it subconsciously while not taking her eyes off of the younger girl. Jeongyeon chortled loudly at Nayeon and caused her to snap out of her stupor. Once Nayeon realized what she had done, she joined Jeongyeon in laughing at herself.

They spent the morning like that, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

...

Contrary to Jeongyeon's expectations, Nayeon didn't attempt to hug or kiss her the whole morning. A little part of her cheered at that but today, she found herself quite disappointed because, surprisingly, she was actually looking forward to Nayeon's hugs and kisses. She figured Nayeon was being careful with her and wasn't going to do anything that could potentially hurt Jeongyeon. Not that showing affection was dangerous in itself, it was more about Jeongyeon's over the top reactions to affection that could harm her still healing neck.

It was a little after lunch and Jeongyeon found herself in her room still but she was now assembling Lego pieces. Nayeon went out not too long ago to feed their dogs and wash their dishes. Jeongyeon tried to help her but Nayeon refused to let her out of her room. They had quite the banter because of that.

"I'm injured, unnie, not crippled," Jeongyeon argued once again.

Sighing at her stubbornness, Nayeon had to resort to negotiation to appease her. "Alright, let's make a deal. If you can manage to stay in your room for the whole day today, we'll take Nanan, Tan, and Kookeu for a walk around Manseok tomorrow and we can eat out for lunch... as long as I can get your parents' permission first, of course."

The offer of walking their dogs and eating out together- just the two of them- sounded very good to Jeongyeon. With the absence of their members, it almost sounded like they were going to have a date. The thought made her feel giddy and her stomach feel queasy. She wanted to agree right there and then but she didn't want to seem easy so she looked away from Nayeon before slightly nodding her head to express her agreement.

Jeongyeon was then left with a box of Legos to occupy herself and proceeded to work on the new 6,020 pieces Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle set Nayeon bought for her a while back but she hadn't been able to play with until now. She took a picture of the box and set it to their group chat so Mina, who was a huge Harry Potter fan, could see it. She was sorry Mina couldn't be there to assemble it with her since they both loved Legos but she figured she could let Nayeon do it with her instead.

She was having a lot of fun with Nayeon around. So far, her plan was a success. Nayeon practically bathed in the complements she gave and didn't question her. It was rare for Jeongyeon to do this and she might revert to her usual behavior towards Nayeon come tomorrow. Bringing up why she was doing this could result to the early end of those compliments. For now, Nayeon contented herself to enjoy every complement Jeongyeon gives her while she can.

"You're still a kid at heart, aren't you?" Nayeon stated once she'd returned to Jeongyeon's room. "You're turning 25 in November and you're still playing with toys."

The latter didn't bother to look at her as she was trying to separate two stubborn pieces she'd mistakenly stuck together. "Speak for yourself, unnie. You're the eldest of the group yet you still act like a baby and do a lot of aegyo." Her tongue was poking out of her lips in concentration. She managed to pull the pieces apart with a huff then hissed when her fingers began to sting. She had to wait for a few seconds while blood rushed back to the pads of her fingers, turning them red.

"I was born cute and you know it. Me acting like a baby should be the least of your problems. Do you need help with that?" Nayeon asked, pointing to the unfinished Lego set.

"I don't really have a problem with you acting like a baby but can't you be my baby instead?" Jeongyeon tried to say seriously but ended up giggling at the cheesy line before she even finished talking.

Nayeon shook her head, chuckling. "That was an attempt... and that was a fail." She made herself comfortable on the floor, sitting on a pillow in front of Jeongyeon. "So... how can I help?" She asked again and reached for the open manual beside Jeongyeon.

Without looking, the latter also reached out for it but ended up grabbing Nayeon's hand instead. Blushing, Jeongyeon looked up at Nayeon's russet brown eyes and instantly got mesmerized. Her heart started beating like crazy, she could feel it pounding in her chest.

She didn't know what came over her but she grasped Nayeon's hand tighter. Her skin felt soft to the touch and she could now understand why their fans always went crazy over Nayeon's hands. They made her heart flutter too. With her thumb, she slowly rubbed circles on the back of Nayeon's palm, feeling the ridges where her veins lay protruded beneath her skin. Without looking away from Nayeon's eyes, she traced those veins from the knuckles to where they descend and disappear into the wrist. Entranced, her fingers encircled Nayeon's wrist and felt the older girl's quick heartbeat through her radial artery.

Startled at the discovery, Jeongyeon blinked and let go of Nayeon's hand, clearing her throat. Nayeon blinked as well and shook her head, seemingly trying to snap out of a daze. When she accidentally met Jeongyeon's eyes again, she looked away and her cheeks began to turn red. Jeongyeon smiled widely, reminded of the feel of Nayeon's fleeting heartbeat which she took as a good sign.

Deciding not to comment on it- for now, at least- Jeongyeon picked up the manual and pointed to the first page. Though Nayeon's cheeks were still painted red, she nodded her head and started to look for the pieces required to build the first part of the model.

Silently, they began to assemble the Lego blocks.

...

It was nearing five in the late afternoon and Nayeon is getting ready to leave. They've been building for two and a half hours and managed to build a third of the castle with not much trouble. Jeongyeon was having fun, especially since she hasn't had anyone besides Mina to build Legos with. It wasn't because no one wanted to build with her but because she didn't like anyone else touching her Legos. For some reason, she had no problem when Nayeon does it.

"I need to go now, my parents are probably looking for me already and I don't want to drive when it's dark," Nayeon said, standing up from the floor and stretching. They both had fun building and lost track of time.

"You drove here?" Jeongyeon asked, starting to clean up the floor. She threw her pillows on her bed then gathered her unused Lego pieces and put them back in the box. Grabbing the open manual, she made folded the corner of the page they were in before closing it and placing it in the box as well.

"I could've taken the subway but appa wouldn't let me commute, especially since I have Kookeu with me. It actually belongs to my imobu but he's abroad so he left it with us in the meantime," Nayeon replied, pulling her phone out of her purse. She turned it on to check for messages but when she saw none, she put it back in. She held her hand out for Jeongyeon to take. The younger girl grabbed her hand and was then pulled up in a standing position by Nayeon.

"Thanks for coming by, unnie. I'm going to look forward to tomorrow," Jeongyeon said with a smile. "I'll just tell eomma about it and hope she agrees to let me out the house."

"Oh, you don't need to bother. I suggested the outing so I'll be the one asking eomeonim for permission."

Jeongyeon nodded her assent and was heading out the door. Nayeon, who had not yet let go of Jeongyeon's hand, pulled her back gently to stop her in her tracks. "Stay here, I can show myself out."

"Unnie, it'd be rude of me to not see you out the front door. Besides, I want to make sure you get settled in your car and driving away safely."

"You can't get out of your room or even the house yet, remember?"

"Just this once, unnie. Please?" Jeongyeon begged with a little pout.

Surprisingly, the attempt made Nayeon blush. Jeongyeon smirked. "Can't resist falling for my charms, unnie? This is the second time you've blushed now."

Nayeon rolled her eyes in reply. "Arasseo, you win, Yoo Jeongyeon. That's enough teasing for one day."

A few minutes later, they found themselves on the front door. Nayeon clutched Kookeu to her chest, her car keys and purse in one hand. Jeongyeon offered to help her out but Nayeon insisted that she can't get out of the house until tomorrow.

"Thanks for coming by, unnie. We didn't really do much today but I had fun," Jeongyeon said in a low, timid voice. She was petting Kookeu's head and couldn't meet Nayeon's eyes.

The latter smiled. "Don't worry, I wanted to be here. It's been a while since we did anything, just the two of us. It's not like I didn't want the others around but it feels different when it's you. I missed hanging out with you, Jeong." A light blush adorned her cheeks once again and made Jeongyeon's stomach do flips. She looked really cute right now, bashful and hugging Kookeu close to her.

"I missed hanging out with you too, unnie," Jeongyeon said, smiling back. Her hand was already on the doorknob, ready to open it for Nayeon. She was twisting it open but then paused abruptly.

"What's the matter, Jeong?" Nayeon asked.

Jeongyeon remained silent. With her free hand, she snaked her arm around Nayeon's slim waist and hugged her to her side, startling Nayeon. Since she was taller than the older girl, she didn't bother to stand on the tips of her toes when she planted a tender kiss on Nayeon's forehead. When she pulled away, she stared deeply in to Nayeon's eyes. "Take care of yourself, unnie. Drive safely and call me when you get home," she said firmly.

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?" Nayeon asked in a soft voice. "And what's with the kiss?"

"I like your forehead. It makes me want to kiss it," Jeongyeon confessed.

Nayeon turned beet red and nudged Jeongyeon with her elbow. "Ya, don't tease me anymore!"

Chuckling, Jeongyeon brought her hand up to the crown of her head and pat her hair gently. She then opened the door for Nayeon and the older girl walked towards her car- a dark tinted, white sedan. She watched as Nayeon settled in the driver's side and started the engine. She couldn't exactly see the interior of the car but Nayeon rolled down the window and waved goodbye to her before pulling out of the driveway.

Later that night, when Jeongyeon was getting ready for bed, she received a message from Nayeon.

Jaljayo. By the way, I like you kissing my forehead. You should do it again.

Jeongyeon smiled warmly and typed out,

Anything for you, unnie. Jaljayo.