If absence (even a little bit) made Shin Hyunsook a sad kicked puppy, it made Chou Tzuyu a very irate princess.

Over the past few days, her dumb jester has been coming home later than her normal. And when she wasn't late, she spent most of her time with all of her members. Sookie did spend some time with her as well (not enough), but her mind always seemed elsewhere. Like right now.

"Ow! What was that for?" Sookie asked, rubbing her forehead after Tzuyu had knocked on it.

"For zoning out on your wife. What's so important to make the pabo kuma get lost in her empty head, huh?" Tzuyu .

"That's mean, I have lots of things in my head!"

"Whatever you say~"

"Princess is being mean to me, hmmph!" Sookie had crossed her arms with a huff.

"And my jester's such a kid." Tzuyu had pat her head with a fond smile. "Unnie does have Almond-ah in her head. That, and all of her lyrics and cooking skills."

"Tzuyu-yah and everyone else are in there too! Mostly you though." Sookie had replied straightforwardly with her childish grin. "Ow!" She was bopped in her forehead again.

"Pabo kuma..." The maknae muttered to herself, cheeks red. Stupid bears not understanding what her words could be taken as. Didn't mean she didn't like hearing it though.

"I need to start wearing a hockey mask and helmet if Princess is going to hit me all the time..." Sookie commented, rubbing the back of her head, pouting.

"I'm trying to jumpstart unnie's brain cells. Hasn't worked yet." Tzuyu replied succinctly.

"Meanie! I'm going to just play with Dubu and Chaeng if Princess is gonna be mean to me." Sookie meronged her, before standing up, only to be pulled back onto the couch.

"Nope! Unnie already played with them, now it's time to spend time with her wife." Tzuyu retorted, trapping her small unnie in a bear hug. Sookie unnie was hers, damn it! Which meant that all of her time (or a majority at least, 95% will do) was meant to be spent with her. "I haven't seen unnie around a lot lately." She commented quietly. "And when she is, she's off with one of the others doing something."

"Mianhe, I didn't mean to make Princess feel lonely. I've been working more shifts at the cafe and mart, and PD-nim has been making me record some guide tracks lately." Sookie replied, wrapping her arms around her waist in return, making the maknae cuddle into her more. "As for hanging out with everyone else, they've been helping me out with something, that's all."

"I know, Sookie unnie's working hard. And it's great that PD-nim is giving her more opportunities to shine. I just miss having my pabo husband around, that's all." Tzuyu said with a sigh.

"I'm still here! Besides, it will be finished in a few more days, and I'll be right back beside my Princess!" Sookie said with a cheery grin. However Tzuyu wanted her, be it friend or girlfriend, she'd be with her either way. Whichever made her happier, because that's what mattered.

"Arasseo... speaking of, what is it exactly that the unnies are helping you out with?" The maknae asked in a much better mood.

"Uh... look! There's Tzuyu-yah and Jisoo on Duet Festival!" She exclaimed, pointing at the tv. "Wasn't Hyorin in this episode?"

"*sigh* She was. Sunbaenim was really nice." Tzuyu didn't continue her questioning, letting her dumb jester change the subject so obviously. Once Sookie unnie stopped talking about something, she wouldn't mention it again and would obstinately talk about everything but. Which meant that she was a great secret keeper, you knew she was hiding one, but she'd never tell you.

Lucky for her, she knew someone who wasn't as stubborn as the thick-skulled bear.

When Nayeon, Mina, and Chaeyoung entered their shared room, they were greeted by a happy tail-wagging corgi. They all took turns greeting the excitable pup.

"Aigoo~ hello Almond-ah!"

"Who's the cutest puppy ever~"

"How'd you get in here? Sookie isn't here right now."

"I was hoping unnies could tell me that, actually..." They turned around once they heard Tzuyu's comment, the maknae stepping out from behind the door casually. "What is my Pabo bear keeping hidden from me, hmm?"

All three immediately felt nervous. They promised Sookie that they wouldn't say anything, but were still very much scared of invoking the usually composed Yoda's wrath. And unfortunately for them, their other members were either attempting to cook dinner (Jihyo, Momo, and Jungyeon) or with Sookie (Sana and Dahyun), so they were stuck.

"What was that?! I think they need help in the kitchen, excuse me!" Nayeon was the first out the door.

"Ah, I hear my cellphone. I have a phone call, if you'll excuse me!" Mina was quick to follow, which was fine with Tzuyu. Her real target was still in the room, after all. She moved to lean against the door, making Chaeyoung's only way out through her.

"You're not going to make me talk, Tzuyu. You can just let me out." Chaeyoung stated, trying to sound confident. She wouldn't fail Sookie unnie!

"Me? I'm not going to convince you, Chaeyoung." Tzuyu replied with a quirked brow, before calling Almond to her, the puppy obediently running over to his eomma. "My adeul will." She picked the puppy up into her arms.

"Okay, Almond-ah's adorable, but even his cuteness won't convince me. Neither will his puppy kisses or pouts."

"My adeul is precious. And cute and playful and lovable. But he has a bad habit, you see..." Tzuyu commented, as if Chaeyoung hadn't said anything, taking out a familiar sketchbook from behind her back. "Ever since he was a baby, he's always loved chewing on paper, at least, that's what Sookie unnie told me once. I don't know, I might not have remembered right..."

"You wouldn't..." Then she heard a loud tearing of paper. 

Tzuyu fed the corgi the page, Almond happily tearing into the drawing and spitting it out in front of the horrified artist. "Omo! I did remember right." She gasped with mock surprise.

"Yah! You-" Chaeyoung stepped forward, not wanting any more of her drawings becoming Almond's chew toys.

"Uh oh! There goes another one..." Another precious page was given to the corgi, who was having a field day. Usually his mommies never let him eat paper. "Step any closer and I won't know how many more pages Almond-ah will chew."

Chaeyoung stepped back, forcing herself to stay rooted to the spot. She had to stay strong! S