7 – Moment of Truth

Song of the chapter: You Are My Everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEuMe_MKx48

Hanbin came inside, took a chair from the study table set and sat across the bed. He looked at Yeri. "Wow. Time really goes fast. But even time wasn't able to change your face." Hanbin touched her bangs and swiftly passed his hand through it.  He sighed.

"Nae. Ikaw din. [Yes, you too.]" Yeri answered as she sat up. She looked at Hanbin with intent. "Sadly, I got married to the person I don't want to marry."

Hanbin gave a look of sarcasm. "Why did you get married in the first place?"

"Social study."

"What?"

"I mean, I tried if the man I wanted to marry would react the way I wanted him to."

"What reaction did you want?"

Yeri shut up for a second then said, "I wanted you to fight for me." Yeri cupped his cheeks then kissed him passionately.

Oh sht. Hanbin cursed.

He wasn't able to help himself as he kissed back. They continued kissing hungrily until....

*KLANG*

"Next time, close the freaking door." Tzuyu's voice became Hanbin's adrenaline to stop whatever he's doing. Hanbin uttered a curse. She was carrying a basin of water with a towel in it, then when she dropped it, the water scattered on the floor. Tzuyu's eyes and heart became cold as she ran out on her own.

"Tzuyu." Hanbin pushed Yeri away and ran to catch up to her.

When the pair left, Yeri smirked then chuckled loudly. "This is just the beginning, wench."

But soon, Jisoo came. "What the hell was that about?" He asked. He also saw the water that was splashed all over. "What is this about?!"

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep." Yeri said. Jisoo had a confused look on his face and then, he left then called the maid to clean the mess up.

Jisoo had to go back to the bar to pick up the others. "Where is Tzuyu?" He asked Minhyuk.

"Huh? I thought you were going to get her." Minhyuk reminded him.

"I was going to, but she wasn't in her room or anywhere."

Minhyuk shook his head. "She's a local here. She'll find her way home." Then it hit him. "Okay, why am I feeling so uneasy?"

"I know, right?" Jisoo called someone. "Grandpa Max."

"Yes, Mr. Kim?"

"Is Tzuyu anywhere around the area?" He noticed that Minhyuk was asking him to speaker the phone. So he did so.

"Last time I saw Madam, it was when she gathered water for Mrs. Eunji and Mrs. Yeri."

"But before or after that...?"

"Well --" Then Max gasped.

"What is it, Grandpa Max?" Minhyuk asked.

"Hyukkie, perhaps -- no, it can't be." Grandpa Max stuttered.

Minhyuk got the idea immediately. "God. Could it be?" The idea of such ran through their minds. "No way. Please tell me what I'm thinking is wrong."

"Minhyuk, it's inevitable. There's a possibility." Grandpa Max explained. He mentally cursed as he remembered everything.

Jisoo was left in confusion. "What's going on, Grandpa Max, Minhyuk? Is there something I need to be informed of?" Asked Jisoo.

Grandpa Max sighed as he said, "Come back here, I'll ask the guards to bring home the guests. Is Mina around?"

"What is this?" Mina suddenly arrived.

"We think Tzuyu is missing. And that thing might be the reason." Minhyuk reasoned.

Mina gasped. "No way. I prescribed her pills already!"

Minhyuk shook his head. "This is why I told you to get her a psychiatrist."

"I am still confused." Jisoo claimed.

"Let me tell you the story, then. The reason why Tzuyu takes pills on PTSD."

"PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder?" Jisoo asked. Minhyuk and Mina nodded.

"It's about time you knew."

***

Years ago, when Tzuyu was still 12, when Tzuyu wasn't pretty at all, and when Tzuyu was a total country girl.

"Tzuyu! Palli!  We don't have all day!" A young Mina said as she pulled her best friend with her.

The pair went to a small ice cream store. "Mina and I are getting ice cream, Sir."

The vendor has a wide smile on his face. "Yes, what should I get you girls?"

"I want rocky road!" Tzuyu immediately said. She was still chubby and she had plump cheeks. But the smile was still the same smile she would wear.

"Mine's bubblegum!" Mina cheerfully chimed. The ice cream man gave them their ice creams then the pair skipped on their way out.

"Mina-ya, why are you so popular?" Tzuyu suddenly asked.

"I'm pretty." Mina said with a wide smile. "But I think you'll grow prettier."

Tzuyu rolled her eyes. "In my dreams. I'm overweight plus Seunghyun doesn't like me."

"You'll get hit by puberty soon." Mina assured her. "Ah chakaman. I left my wallet at the store." Mina said as she ran along. Tzuyu nodded then smiled as she watched her friend run off.

Soon, she heard a group of girls coming her way. The mean girls of her school. "Oh it's the overweight Taiwanese! Hello there Buddha." Siara, their leader, greeted Tzuyu with sarcasm.

"What the heck? You're eating ice cream? Ha! You're gonna turn into Snorlax now!" Iris, another one of them exclaimed.

Tzuyu frowned then looked down. "What a piece of trash." Ylona, another one said as she threw two cups of flour on her face. "Eat that, pig."

Tzuyu's lips trembled and her fists crumpled. Out of anger, she threw her ice cream on Iris' face. "Oh, this b*tch!" Iris pulled her hair then slapped Tzuyu hard. "You better start calling mommy, Buddha because you're going to get hurt real bad!"

And with that, Iris and the others pulled Tzuyu to a dark place.

The Nam's Basement.

"You b*tch better know who you're dealing with!" Iris said as she slapped her hard.

Tzuyu was tied on a chair. "Well, scream all you want, nobody's gonna hear you." Ylona threatened.

"You wench. You don't know that Seunghyun hates you because you're fat!" Siara hit her with a steel rod on the leg.

Tzuyu started sweating blood. Everything would come at her. She would take it.

Where Tzuyu was hit, slapped and everything.

Until everything came to a momentary stop. When help finally arrived.

"Madam Chou! We found her!" The moment the guard found her, the three panicked.

"How did they?" Iris suddenly asked.

"I don't know!" Siara said.

Tzuyu was breathing heavily. Soon, a group of police broke in. "Hands up!" the three teenagers raised their arms in defeat.

Madam Chou saw her granddaughter's state. "Tzuyu, anak! [Tzuyu, my child!]" But soon, Tzuyu lost it and fainted.

***

"That's the story. Her fear of being alone in the darkness began there." Mina explained. "Now we have to find her." She commanded. "Search for every nook and cranny of this island. We have to find her. PTSD is not something to be looked down on."

"We should. I think Hanbin must be looking for her, too." Minhyuk said.

"The more we are, the larger the chance that we find her before sunrise." Jisoo said. With that, the group dispatched and left the bar.

Jisoo tried to look for her everywhere, but looking, the action itself, is so hard.

Oh you goddamn Tzuyu. Where on earth are you, you little brat?

He went at Station 3, and roamed around everywhere. "That brat, seriously." He uttered a curse.

"Jisoo-yah, am I not sweet? Are the ants getting to you? Should I start spraying lysol?" Tzuyu said as she laughed while she and Jisoo were eating at Ponyang's.

"First, that's terrible. Second, you're gross."

"Yah, can't I play a joke?"

He smiled at the memory.

That person better be safe. Or else I don't know what I might do to the person responsible.

***

Sun finally broke in. But as it rose, Mina and her friends started to lose hope. So they retreated back to the villa.

"The heck?" Dahyun, a little dizzy, angrily went to the dining room. "So who lost her?" The four, Mina, Minhyuk, Jisoo and Hanbin sat quietly. "I NEED YOUR ANSWERS!" Dahyun angrily said.

"Chill, Dahyun." Terrence calmed her down.

Dahyun glared at Terrence. "Tzuyu has PTSD. And she's missing! Do you expect me to chill at all?!"

"We expect you to chill because we've been looking all night for her!" Mina angrily fought back. "You're not the only one who worries here, Dahyun."

"But why didn't you wake us up?" Vernon asked.

"We can't." Minhyuk said. "Dahyun and Nayeon can go wild."

Nayeon crossed her arms. "Wow. Thank you." She said with sarcasm.

"We have to find her." Jisoo said as he sighed. Eunji held his shoulder but he coldly shook it off. "Not now, please."

"That's it." Dahyun stood up. "Mina, Minhyuk, Hanbin, go and look for her. Jisoo, Eunji, go to the district's office. Terrence and I will check around to know the cctv's positions."

"Nae. We'll look around at the ice cream store and our old grade school." Mina said as she left with Vernon following her. The others soon left to look for her.

"Hanbin, a word with you." Jisoo said as he pulled Hanbin to the corner. As they went to the corner, Jisoo hit Hanbin across the face. "That's for leaving Tzuyu." Then he walked out of the room and Hanbin smirked.

Tzuyu, wherever you are, wait for me. I will save you.

***

Tzuyu sighed. She's alone. Her nightmares are starting to get to her as she sat on the same chair.

Her hands trembled as the feeling of pain ran through her mind.

How did her grandmother even find her? Her phone has a tracker. This time, there's no such thing as a tracker. She's all alone.

All alone.

Tzuyu hugged herself in terror. She's in pain. Because she saw the man she loved --

Then it hit her.