Title: These words

Summary: Chaeyoung has had a certain beat in her head for quite some time, she’s been trying to work on it- even during school, but to no avail she just can’t put the words onto the page.

Word Count: 2k +

Manicured nails tapped against a notebook, repeating the same beats over and over. The person who was doing it didn’t give a crap even when spectacled classmates shot glares her way. The self proclaimed rapper was trying to get a certain beat out of her head, one that has been pestering her for about a week or so.

“These words are my own. Threw some chords together, the combination D E F.”

….

Over the course of ten minutes Chaeyoung had found herself going nowhere besides saying the words over and over again. With a frustrated groan she flung her arms onto her desk, head immediately connecting with the limbs so she could nap it out.

“Son Chaeyoung, is there any reason as to why you are freaking out in my maths class?” A stern voice pierced through her hazy mind. Looking up ever so slightly, she noted the underwhelming figure of her old maths teacher. “I’m trying to focus my attention, sir,” Twice’s rapper replied ever so calmly, trying to mask the frustration that was b, “But I feel so ADD. I can’t find the inspiration.”

With a wistful sigh she slumped back down, shifting her attention between her teacher and her notebook which had the responsibility of being her temporary bed sheets.

“I believe inspiration is not a part of maths, Miss Son. Would you care to explain to the class about the difference between permutations and combinations?”

Combinatorics. - Chaeyoung cursed in her mind, moving from her focus on music towards the problem given to her. “Uh. One’s about arrangements and the other’s about selections, isn’t that right?” By the end of it all her voice came out small, she could feel the heated glares on her back from her fellow peers. Of course she is liked, she has friends at school, but most of the time she can be so obsessed with her pens and paper.

“... Good enough. Please spend more time focusing on what’s in front of you, just because you are an idol does not mean you can miss out on your education.”

“Of course  Mr Yang.”

As soon as he moved away the sound started to play in her mind again, slowly becoming more and more prominent.

Son Chaeyoung officially had a problem. Currently herself and her group members were at a small gym, within the indoor basketball court donning cheerleader outfits for their Naver V App video. It wasn’t the fact that the skirts were short or that her members were teasing her about her height and lack of humour; it was the beautiful girl standing in front of her.

Now many would say that Tzuyu, Mina, Momo and Nayeon were the prettiest in Twice, but not for her; beauty is subjective. Of course Tzuyu had the perfect dimensions, she was just so cute and definitely fit her role as maknae. But- but- Words could not express the feelings that were bursting in the pit of her stomach. If anyone was watching her right now they would be able to spot the small amount of drool that was beginning to slip from the corner of .

Clutching the basketball even harder, she shook her head, wiped hastily and turned to face the camera which was currently streaming to their fans. Placing a bright smile on her face, she took control of the viewers’ attention, throwing the ball down onto the ground and giggling as it rebounded, easily coming into contact with her expecting hands.

“I love you Once!” She shouted. Ah, maybe this would distract her from her current predicament.

The others members have started to notice. When the cameras were off, Chaeyoung would seclude herself, an invisible wall surrounding her that scared off any peers that wished to  converse with her.

Even at home she acted strangely. The door to her shared room with Dahyun and Tzuyu would be locked whenever the sun was out. Thumps and muffled screams could be heard from that particular room and all Jihyo could do as the leader was brush it off. Even when the other members went to her to make her do something about it she just shook her head. She knew that Chaeyoung would come around sooner or later. She had been in that position as well, unable to hit the right notes when her voice would play up. It was in her code to never interrupt an artist at work.

“Waste bin full of paper. Clever rhymes, see you later.” The second youngest tugged at her hair in frustration, scribbles all over her notebook. Never in her life had she experienced something like this. Nor did she expect a certain person to make her feel this way.

Red was seeping into her vision and she was a second away from banging her head against the wall. Pushing away from her desk with pencil clutched in her hand, she stared and stared, until her patience wore thin and two thumbs pressed against the length of the stationary. With an exert of strength, she broke it in two and threw its contents at the wall.

“Nothing I ever write is good enough.” and with that she unlocked the door and trudged her way to bed, not bothered with the fact that she was skipping dinner.

“No. Guys, now i’m really worried.” Momo murmured, playing with Sana’s fingers. Her eyes flittered between what she was playing with and the rest of the members except for all but one. “It’s been a week now. You’d think she’d get over whatever is going on with her.”

“I know,” Jihyo hissed, rubbing her brows, “I never went on a rampage of this scale.”

“I’m pretty sure you should check on her Jihyo.” Sana mentioned.

“Of course, of course.” Standing up, she skillfully dodged the mass of limbs that were what seemed to be everywhere in the living room.

“Chaeyoung-ah!” The microphone boomed, knuckles wrapping against the door, “Come out! I need to talk to you!”

“What!?” The second youngest’s muffled screamed. “I’m working!”

“Oh yeah and i’m making out with Dahyun right now!”

“Why me!?” Dahyun screamed from the couch, yelps of pain coming from the surrounding members as they sat too close to the white tofu.

A loud groan indicated that the leader had won. With a small step back, she folded her arms and smirked smugly, staring at the disheveled rapper in front of her.

“Working on your sleep, I see?”

With the click of her tongue she glared at her leader.

“Come on. Let’s talk.” Without a word Jihyo took hold of the young one’s wrist, pulling her out of the dorm.

7 pairs of eyes followed after them, each girl holding in their breath as they anticipated what would happen next. As the door closed they sighed.

“And that’s why she’s the leader, people.” Jungyeon noted, “instead of this girl crush here.”

“What’s so important that you’d drag me out of the dorm?” Chaeyoung asked begrudgingly, tambark flying through the air as the tip of her shoes dug into the ground with each swing.

Childish laughter came from some of the lone occupants of the park. Even though it was dark the area was relatively safe enough for parents and their kids to have some night time fun.

Oh how Chaeyoung envied them sometimes. Call her melodramatic but the love thing just isn’t cut out for her right now, it builds up on her stress and tears her apart piece by piece.

“Your attitude.”

“My attitude?” The dwarf’s voice was clipped as she turned her head to the side, staring at her leader as the swing came to a stop.

“You don’t think we’ve noticed? We’ve given you space because we thought you’d get over it.”

“My current predicament is something that I don’t think i’ll ever get over.”

“How about you just open up to me?”

“....And how is that going to help me?”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Don’t- Don’t twist my words.”

Silence. A staredown was occurring as the rest of the world moved on.

“Fine. You want to know? Come here.” Tapping the ground next to her, Chaeyoung waited patiently for her leader to move towards her.

Jihyo was giddy, her expression much more different from what she had seconds before. It was like she was about to be told a well kept secret and it might as well should be. Shuffling over, she tried to keep her expression netural as she tilted her head closer and closer to the second youngest.

Cupping her leader’s ears with both hands, she whispered, “Love. Confession. Song.”

And as if the veil that was blinding her eyes were pulled up, Jihyo grinned and turned to Chaeyoung, “Who?”

“D-dahyun…”

“Listen to me.”

And so their plan started.

Both girls weren’t seen for the rest of the night, the only exception was when they went back into the maknae’s shared room, just to grab Chae’s lyric book and a few pencils.

The rest of the members thought that as long as Chaeyoung is in Jihyo’s capable hands, then nothing could go wrong. So they adjourned for the night, each going to their respective rooms to get the sleep they, as idols, so desperately needed.

Mornings never started off peacefully.

Jihyo was found sleeping on the couch, not wanting to disturb her member’s sleep during the middle of the night. The other member of the duo? Not present. So when Jihyo had to wake up to the shouts of Dahyun, it is safe to say she wasn’t pleased.

“Guys! Chaeyoung isn’t in her room!” Although she wasn’t the early bird like her fellow roommate, Tzuyu, Dahyun had woken up early in the morning with unease in the pit of her stomach. It took her about a minute to come back to life and realise that her favorite member wasn’t in her bed. “Jihyo unnie! Do you know where she is?”

“I recall her going back to her room when we returned. You guys were asleep though.” She mumbled groggily, turning over so she could go back to sleep again.

“This is serious!” Dahyun exclaimed, shocked to see that the leader of Twice wasn’t acting like her usual self.

Hearing the commotion, the other members started to filter out into the living room, wiping their eyes to get rid of sleep.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is it so loud? It’s only 8. Our schedule starts at 11.”

“Lemme go back to sleep…”

“Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuhr…?”

“You don’t understand!” Dahyun pouted, “Chaeyoung isn’t in her bed and Jihyo swears that Chaeyoung came back!”

“If you’re so concerned why don’t you go look for her?”

“Maybe I will.” Dahyun was ticked off at the lack of care that Jihyo was showing. For now she would ignore her. Turning to the others, she scanned them with narrowed eyes, “Where do you think she’d be?”

“JYP Building?”

“Roof?”

“Local cafe?”

“Park?”

Suggestions were thrown to her left and right. With so much options she had to take a step back and evaluate them. “She’s been frustrated because of her music, right? JYP building it is.”

Ignoring the others, she made her way to her room, “I’ll make sure she gets back before our schedule starts.”

Fresh pair of pants and a warm coat was the way to go for the white dubu. Slipping on her nikes, she closed the door and set off.

Crisp, cool air can do wonders for anyone. The benefits are enormous and it’s just from inhaling the damn thing. Dahyun had found herself to be more calmer than when she was in the dorm and that helped her enough to think of where the younger girl could be. So as she stepped through the doors she quickly dashed to the nearest elevator, bowing to her respective seniors and the other workers, greeting them with a small smile.

The third floor. On the long days where training never seemed to finish and her voice would go out or her legs, Chaeyoung would hide in one of the rooms and take a nap there. Sometimes it wasn’t naps, sometimes it was just drawing her frustrations away.

This was Dahyun’s best bet and as the elevator stopped, pinged and opened the door, an unfamiliar melody entered her ears. The closer she got to the specific room, the louder it became.

‘I'm getting off my stage

The curtains pull away

No hyperbole to hide behind

My soul exposes’

It’s Chaeyoung’s voice, there’s no doubt about it. Transfixed, she took slower steps.

‘Trying to find the magic

Trying to write a classic

Waste-bin full of paper

Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own

From my heart flow

I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you’

I love you? was dry, eyes set on the door as she moved closer and closer to it. Who?

‘That's all I got to say,

Can't think of a better way,

And that's all I've got to say,’

The door was right in front of her. With a deep breath, she took the knob and twisted it, swinging the door open.

“I love you, is that okay?” Chaeyoung finished it off lightly, eyes flittering up to take note of her Dahyunnie standing in front of her, just staring at her.

“Who?” Dahyun whispered. The question was painstakingly clear for the younger girl.

Standing up, Chaeyoung smiled nervously and looked at her crush, “You.”

HAHAHAHhaHAHAHAHhahaHAHahahHAHAHAHa.