The thing I learnt about love is that it links you with that other person...

 

Whatever the other is feeling, you’d somehow feel it too. Perhaps just as strongly too.

 

It was a mutual thing… and I have never felt so helpless or useless before in my entire life. Not even when my father almost disowned me because of my career choice.

 

Having to watch this brought about so much more emotions I never knew I had...

 

“Umm… Sana?” Momo called out warily, eyes locked onto the figure standing at their door.

 

“Yeah Momo?” She shouts from her bedroom.

 

“Do you have a second?”

 

“Yeah hang on ~ ” Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she saw who it was.

 

Momo had opened the door only to find Tzuyu standing there looking a little... crushed.

 

That was normal. No, not the depressed part, but the younger girl had never cried in front of her, not in front of anyone. Tzuyu is always the optimistic and stronger one.

 

Yet here she was... at their door, looking as if her world just ended… Sana felt her heart drop at those tearing eyes.

 

“What’s wrong, Tzuyu ah?” She stepped forward instinctively to pull the girl into a tight hug, cringing at the sharp alcoholic scent, “Oh gosh, she drank… Wow…”

 

Her mind reeled a little at the thought of how much bottles the younger one had tackled to reach this level of drunk.

 

“She drank?” Momo frowned.

 

“Momo, could you make something warm please? Thanks...”

 

Momo immediately stepped backwards and quietly made her way out, muttering something about making hot chocolate for them while Sana clung onto the younger.

 

“Please…”

 

Sana felt herself stiffen at the cracked voice. It seemed like the girl had been crying for quite some time.

 

“I can’t do this…”Tzuyu continues to mumble.

 

The older girl pulls back a little to cup Tzuyu’s redden cheeks with both hands, “Tzuyu ah… How did you get yourself so drunk like this?” She was frightened.

 

“Just everything…” She stumbles along heavily as Sana drags them both to collapse onto the couch.

 

The fresh tears trickling down the cheeks of the younger girl felt like knife stabs, “What happened?” She asks softly, using her thumb to catch the falling tears.

 

“I cannot…” Tzuyu’s words were terribly slurred but Sana could roughly figure out what she was trying to saying.

 

“What do you mean?” She presses on as gently as she could.

 

“It’s crazy…” Tzuyu closes her eyes, the drowsiness finally kicking in.

 

“What’s crazy, Tzuyu ah? You’re worrying me a lot right now… ” She brushes back the girl’s matted fringe, frowning at the heat of her forehead.

 

“Do you know how it feels… You don’t know…” Tzuyu’s body slipped downwards and her head was now resting against Sana’s shoulders, “You can’t…”

 

Sana swallows hard, the worry wrecking her heart beat.

 

“Hmm… Lies…”

 

She held tightly onto Tzuyu’s hands entwining their fingers, “What?”

 

“I can’t lose her… ” The younger one sniffs softly.

 

Sana freezes on her spot. Many thoughts were running through her mind.

 

She wonders if she should ask… She wonders if she wanted to know more… She wonders if she could handle the truth behind those simple yet impactful words.

 

When she inhaled hard, she realized that she had been holding onto her breath. Tzuyu was already slumped down fully onto her shoulder, probably about to fall asleep.

 

The doubtful thoughts remained etched in her mind and her eyes were beginning to sting. She wanted to push Tzuyu away for tonight… She doesn’t want to comfort Tzuyu for what she feels the girl is troubled about.

 

She wants to be selfish. Just for tonight…

 

Tzuyu seems to have sensed her thoughts and tightens her grip on Sana’s hand.

 

The older girl bites at her lip and remains silent, allowing Tzuyu to dampen her shoulder with more tears while she dampen her cheeks with her own tears.

 

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be yet…

 

***

 

The next morning had Momo waking up to an extremely blackmail-worthy scene. Not refusing the idea of having gained some blackmail material, she had snapped the picture.

 

“Hmm…” A soft groan was heard as the figure on the couch stirred.

 

“Morning Squirrel ~ ”

 

“Momo? Why am I- Oh…” She blushed really hard upon realizing what was the weight on the side.

 

Tzuyu’s face was just an inch away from hers and Sana froze at the close distance they were in. Momo had on an expression that would have made Sana want to punch the living daylights out of her. That is, if she weren’t so distracted by the beauty of that angelic face within…

 

“Kissing distance…” Momo leans forward to whisper with a knowing grin.

 

“Wahhh!” Sana squeals as she hears her inner thoughts being voiced out.

 

The loud squeal had woken Tzuyu up in the most unpleasant way as well, considering her very drunken state from last night. She was lacked of sleep.

 

Sana mentally facepalms. Momo cheers out loud.

 

“Breakfast on the house!” She chirps happily and skips to the kitchen to bring out the food.

 

“I’m sorry…” Sana says softly as Tzuyu calms down.

 

“No, no it’s fine… I- Oh wow…” The younger girl held onto her head, “Okay, my head feels like a rock just smashed into it…”

 

“Does it hurt?” The memories of last night were still fresh in her mind and to be honest, she didn’t have the energy to deal with it right now.

 

Tzuyu chuckles slightly, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

 

Sana frowns, “I worry.” She frowns even more when she realizes what she had said, “I do worry…” but the hand on her wrist broke her train of thoughts.

 

“You are kinda silly.”

 

“I’m not…” The frown was still etched on her face as she gets up quickly from the couch, surprising the other, “I’m gonna wash up… If you need something, you can ask Momo for it.”

 

Tzuyu blinks and watches her disappear quickly into her room. Well…

 

“Scrambled eggs and some tea for our little one who should have known better than to drink over her limits.” Momo says as appears out from the kitchen, putting the food tray down on the table.

 

“Thanks Momo unnie.” She smiles sheepishly, “I don’t even know how I ended up here… ”

 

Momo carefully studies the face of the younger one.

 

Last night she had spied on the two girls for a bit and happened to overhear the words muttered by the younger one. She had seen her best friend cry after and couldn’t say she isn’t concerned about it.

 

“Well, do you usually get drunk like that?”

 

“Hm, no actually.” Tzuyu sighs, looking downwards, “It wasn’t pleasant, was it…”

 

“Don’t know. Sana was the one with you all night.”

 

“Oh… She was?”

 

“Yeah… You had her freaking out.”

 

Tzuyu sinks her face into her palms, “This is bad. Did I say anything… um… bad?”

 

“Define bad.” There was a light smack on her head and she scowls as Sana appears in between them, rubbing at her damp hair with a towel.

 

Tzuyu shifts her attention to Sana, “Did I say anything embarrassing last night?”

 

“Loads.” She answers casually and turns away to take her seat beside Momo.

 

It was meant to be a joke but Momo raises a brow at that action. The latter chose to ignore it and picks up a toast. Tzuyu closes her eyes and sighs.

 

“You both got plans later?” Momo asks slowly, alternating her gaze between the two.

 

“No.” Sana simply says.

 

“Yes!” Tzuyu answers slightly louder than intended. She looks at Sana, “Could you… company me for a bit?”

 

“Not today, I’ve got writing to do. Sorry.”

 

Tzuyu winces at the curt response, “Please, it won’t take long.”

 

Momo was staring hard at the bread in her hands.

 

Desperate to rid of the tension building up in the living room, she flings both arms up and yells, “Oh for goodness pete’s sake! Get out of the house, both of you.”

 

***

 

Tzuyu was still chuckling as they made their way out, “An angry Momo tops.”

 

Sana glares at her, “That’s not funny, I really had work to do.”

 

“I’m sorry...” She reaches out and her fingers grazes lightly against Sana’s lips.

 

The older girl began to pout unconsciously, “Stop doing that.”

 

“Well, you shouldn’t pout then.”

 

“You make it seem like-” She stops herself quickly, “Nothing.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I said nothing.” She looks away.

 

“Stubborn…” Tzuyu holds onto Sana’s hands. It was a normal thing to do, but heat still gushed up to the older girl’s cheek. Why now…

 

“Annoying.” Sana responds back weakly.

 

Tzuyu scoffs and ruffles the hair of the older girl, “Short.”

 

“Hey!”

 

She laughs lightly, “But kinda cute.”

 

“Unbelievable.”

 

They came to a stop in front of the lake. Tzuyu rests her head on the older girl’s shoulder. Yet another rare action displayed by the younger, catching Sana unaware and surprised.

 

“How long has it been since we’ve known each other?” Tzuyu asks softly.

 

“Hmm…” Sana counts the dates, “About a year?”

 

“Time flies so fast…”

 

“What are you thinking about this time?” Sana was curious.

 

“Remember all the times we spent climbing trees?”

 

“A whole year filled with tree climbings…” Sana cringes at each memory, vivid in her mind.

 

“And the countless million times of trippings… Why do you always trip so much anyway?” Tzuyu chuckles, slipping her arms around Sana’s waist, “I’ve been meaning to ask that.”

 

“Oh I’m gonna try very hard to forget especially that…” Sana jumps slightly at the intimate contact, “How should I know? I’m just a really clumsy klutz…” She pouts.

 

“If I’m not around, will you be able to hold back on the trippings?” Tzuyu lifts a finger to poke at the pout.

 

“Can’t promise a yes to that…”

 

“Well, you should. I don’t want you hurting yourself when I’m not around.”

 

Sana blinks. The younger never said that before. It felt strange to suddenly hear it from her.

 

“O-Okay…?”

 

“Good girl.” Tzuyu grins teasingly at Sana.

 

Sana gasps in surprise while chuckling, “Hey! I’m the older one here!”

 

“Oh, you are?” Tzuyu laughs.

 

That was the cue for another round of cheek grabbing and pinching. Courtesy of Minatozaki Sana, who is in denial about her obsession with the younger’s cheeks.

 

“Ack- I swear my face is gonna fall off!”

 

“Aw, it would be a crime to wreck such a sweet face.”

 

“You mean yours?”

 

Sana laughs softly, pausing the pinching to caress Tzuyu’s cheek with her thumb, “You can’t be serious.”

 

“Can’t I...?”

 

Sana shakes her head, smiling softly while holding the latter’s cheek, “You’re insane.”

 

“Maybe I am…” Tzuyu begins to lean forward slowly.

 

Her strong gaze locks onto Sana’s soft brown orbs.

 

Sana’s hand which was still cupping her cheek, now felt like flames burning into her skin. The smile on Sana’s face slowly fades as she realizes what Tzuyu was doing. The distance began to close up. Her heart was beating erratically against her chest, she was so sure it could be heard.

 

Tzuyu allows herself a smile.

 

Seeing Sana’s beautiful features up close made it difficult to breathe. Having Sana this close was already a challenge to all the self control she could summon up. The warm breath coming from Sana’s lips did not make it any easier...

 

Just before their lips could touch, she taps softly on the older girl’s nose and pulls away, breaking their eye contact abruptly. Sana’s hand had lingered on her cheek for a moment longer before slowly sliding off. Tzuyu felt the soft trembles as she let go.

 

It got cold.

 

And the broken look in Sana’s eyes crushed her heart.

 

So it isn’t me...