Together, things are more bearable.

Wordcount: 1442

Seven hours.

That was the duration that the TWICE members have been waiting in the living room for the last member to join them. Yes, even Jihyo, who headed to the hospital to get a check up was back, and the member still refused to get out of her room.

And that last member went by the name of Myoui Mina.

She had gone inside the room and locked the door ever since the moment they came across the dating scandal that had gone viral all over the Korean news sites. None of the members, not even the almighty girlfriend of hers - Hirai Momo - managed to stop her before she locked herself inside her own room. Well, in Momo's defence, she had tried to be a good and responsible girlfriend, holding Mina back and wanting to be her source of comfort, but when the girl simply shook out of her grip and said a really soft and wavering "Sorry.", Momo knew that Mina really needed (and wanted) some time alone.

So without another word of protest, Momo let her go, and watch her disappear behind the door that was shut right in front of their faces. As much as she wanted to be there with her, Momo was an understanding girlfriend. They were supposed to be each other's pillar of support, but in certain cases, it is always better to give each other some space first. The other members, seeing that the closest one was not pushing for it, decided to give Mina her very much needed space as well.

But really, neither Momo nor the other members would have guessed that 'some space' turned into seven whole hours, and it was getting all of them worried as to what Mina was doing inside and how she was coping. Perhaps it was not that great an idea to let her go after all.

After giving it a thorough thought, Momo stood up. She had decided, four hundred and twenty minutes of leaving Mina inside was long enough (too long in fact), and it is now the time for her to step in. Without a word, she walked towards the closed door. She could feel the gazes of the other members following her as she made her way over, but she knew they understood what she was doing even without having to explain.

Just by standing in front of the door, Momo could hear sobs and sniffs coming from inside. It hurt Momo particularly much knowing that it came from her special one, Mina. Perhaps she should not have waited for seven hours. Maybe she should have decided to find Mina earlier, maybe Mina needed her earlier.

Momo knocked on the door without a second thought. "Mina? It's me, Momo. Let me in, please?"

She needed to be inside now, it was killing her not to be. She had to go in, hold Mina tight, wipe her tears away, and assure her that everything will be okay. That being said, she had not been too confident that Mina would open the door for her, because the girl never liked showing her face when she was crying. So, she was pleasantly surprised when she heard a click from the door, signalling that it was unlocked. The door had not been opened from inside, but Momo knew it was a sign that the girl was ready for her to go in.

When she got in, she saw her girlfriend curled up in bed, hugging her bolster tightly, and her blanket barely covering her up to the shoulder. She was facing the wall, so all that Momo could see was her back. However, that did not stop Momo from noticing that the girl was slightly trembling, probably because she was still crying. Mina had always been a crybaby, so it did not come off as too much of a surprise when Momo saw her in this state, but it still pained Momo to see her like that, for she had vowed to protect Mina and never let her cry ever again, unless it was tears of happiness.

"Mina?" Momo called softly, her voice gentle as if Mina was a fragile vase that would shatter into pieces if she spoke in any rougher manner.

When there was no response, Momo slid into Mina's bed, right next to her, and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. "I'm here, Minari, I'm here for you."

Momo did not think that saying "Don't cry" or anything along that line was a good option, because the girl was obviously far too hurt and overwhelmed by emotions, and if crying would make her feel better, Momo would welcome that. Mina must have had many things running through her mind as well, and all Momo wanted was for her to know that she was here for the girl. And those words seem to do the trick, as she felt Mina shift in her arms, and eventually faced her and snuggled into her embrace. At that, Momo only held her tighter and firmer. She would wait till Mina was ready before slowly engaging in a talk.

Momo waited until the girl in her arms was no longer gripping onto her so tight. Mina always had the habit of doing so when she was crying, so a loosening of her grip was a sign that she was a little more calm.

Momo shifted back a little so she could see Mina's face. It broke her heart seeing those obvious tear streaks, but she knew she had to smile and stay strong, for her girlfriend was already broken, and she had to stay strong for her, for them. Using her hands, she gently tucked Mina's hair behind the girl's ear to prevent it from sticking to her face. It was then that Mina finally looked up and into her eyes.

"Mina," Momo called ever so tenderly. Her expression was a loving one, she wanted Mina to know that nothing changed - she still loved her as much, if not more.

However, it only caused tears to well up in Mina's eyes again. She did not think she was deserving of the love.

"I'm sorry," Mina croaked. There were so many things she wanted to say, but her mind was in too much a mess to form any coherent sentence, and her words seemed to be stuck at .

"Mina, there's nothing to be sorry about."

"I- I don't know, it's just... TWICE, the members, my mother, and," Mina paused, trying to collect herself a little, "and you."

The burden was big, and perhaps a little too heavy for Mina to handle. Big or small, this was bound to have a negative impact on not just her, but also TWICE's popularity. She had let the members down. Additionally, she had also found out just now that her mother had to deactivate her instagram account because there was that much harrassment. And Momo, her special loved one, how could she face her with this scandal going on? From a relationship point of view, she had let Momo down too.

Momo used her thumb to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall again. "Mina, look, it's not your fault. Neither the members nor I blame you or hate you in any way, and I'm certain your mother won't too. In fact, we want to be here for you, Mina. It may be tough, but this too will pass. Just let us be with you, let us walk through this obstacle together."

"You sure you are not upset at all?" Mina probed. She did not want this to be thrown to the back of the mind, only to be brought out as a point of argument should they ever fight.

"No, silly," Momo pushed Mina's forehead lightly. "Trust is the foundation of a relationship. If I don't trust you, who will?"

"Thank you." Mina smiled a little, and though it was only a slight one that was nothing compared to the hours she had spent crying, Momo was still contented.

"Let's get through this together, hmm?" Momo asked.

And when Mina nodded, Momo leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead. She hoped that would at least give Mina a little courage to fight on.

"Now, shall we go out? The other members have been worried too."

Mina did not hesitate to nod.

She was unsure when this would be over, and she was certain this would be a tough fight, but she also knew that with Momo, the other members, as well as her family by her side, it would be bearable.

A/N: Been reading some really well written fanfics so I had some motivation to write. I've gotten over the reupload issue, but still need some time to sort out things before I get back to writing. (Hopefully I do have enough time and motivation to get it done before my college starts.)

Anyways, not sure exactly how big of an issue this is in Korea, but I just hope Mina is fine. Also, I heard quite a few of the girls are sick, and Jihyo has her knee injury. I just hope all of them get well soon, and really get some well-needed rest.