She frantically splashes her face with water. God damn it.

Kim Dahyun.

Why is she making this so hard for her?

She’s crazy, insane and she looks like a mess, she thought, as she stared into her reflection on the mirror. Her hair is unkempt, her shirt was drenched with water.

“ me.” She rubs her eye. This is the first time she ever felt so emotional, more so when she won first place in a competition from her previous school. Her heart beats furiously against her chest – almost hurting even. She must have really liked Dahyun, her thoughts sufficed.

“Strawberry Princess?” A familiar voice echoed as the cubicle clicked open. The voice – very distinct and it was a person who knew Chaeyoung well enough to call her “Strawberry Princess”, Tzuyu.

She sees Chaeyoung’s eyes red, bloodshot and almost on the verge of crying.

“Chaeng? Chaeyoung, oh my god, are you okay?” She flew over immediately and embrace her tightly as she could.

“I, I love her so much, Tzuyu-ah.” Her voice, unsteady and trembled as she cries in Tzuyu’s shoulder.

“You’re fine. You’re fine.”

She gently her head console her with nothing but hushes and kisses. Thank god it was after school. Tzuyu wouldn’t want anyone to walk in at the exact moment. She babies her best friend for a while.

“Tell me.”

“I love Dahyun.” Chaeyoung muttered.

“I know that.” She scoffs lightly. “I’m asking you. What are you afraid of?” She stares into Chaeyoung’s eyes, looking for a hint.

“I.”

…

“I’m scared.” She pauses. She looks at Tzuyu in which she gently nodded in response.

“She’s too good for me. I have nothing. I’m…nothing.”

“Don’t say that about yourself!” Tzuyu chided angrily, gripping Chaeyoung’s wrist tightly. “Then how do you think I feel about you, huh?”

“I’m just a freshman. I like art. I like running. And Kim Dahyun.”

“Tzuyu. I’m scared I might do something wrong. You know me, I act on impulse, I’m hasty and it often ends up having bad consequences. I just…” She sighed. “I don’t want our friendship to go sour just because of me. I know me. I know I will definitely do something wrong to hurt Dahyun.”

“I don’t want that.”

“And, she has everything that I don’t. She’s perfect. I just don’t see the picture of both of us being together. I could go on and on about the things she’s good at. You got to understand, I don’t want to hurt our friendship.”

“I ALMOST KISSED HER. I was…so close to losing control, Tzuyu. She was right in front of me. You can’t imagine how many times I fantasize about me kissing, hugging her when we’re together.

“She’s way too good for me.” She felt a lump in for that last one.

“I know but, but what if you don’t try?” Tzuyu asked.

“I don’t have the courage, Tzuyu. I’m just a spineless, no back-bone little shortie. The number of positives Dahyun has outweighs the amount of my mental courage.”

“And how do you count that exactly?” Tzuyu gave her a dead-beat stare.

“Look, you must be really that oblivious to everything huh?” She scoffs.

“What?”

“Dahyun-unnie clearly likes you too.”

“Wha-

“Why else would she volunteer to train with you, you fool.”

“That’s because she’s kind.”

“Of course, she’s kind. I saw her talking to Jeongyeon-unnie about your training and asking whether if she could take over her.”

“Oh.”

Ah.

“Not just that. We all know Dahyun-unnie don’t get angry easily. But how come you guys quarrelled back then? You were ignoring her back then, didn’t you?”

“And please. The way her eyes followed you when you were running. Trust me, the way she laid her eyes on you were different from other people. Her gaze was so loving – as if she was admiring and adoring you the whole time.”

She likes me?

“I was watching. I’m your best friend, remember?”

The possibility hits her.

“You think her purposely making time for you, preparing your replenishment which let me remind you – is a drink that she purposely went to research about and making sure only good things were for you?”

Chaeyoung stood there in silence as she takes in the information. Her brain, overloading and – malfunctioned. Everything made sense. She just needed a little push from her denseness. Maybe, all the while she was thinking about herself, she missed out all the tiny little details, hints even that Dahyun gave.

“I need to g-“

“You need to go. Right? Go.” Tzuyu smiled and edged her forward. “Do me proud, Princess.”

Chaeyoung finally breaks into a smile – she was energized. As if all the courage in the world was being channelled to her then.

She felt like she could do anything. And she ran. As fast as she could. She felt like she could break her personal record of her best track time.

“You know something?”

“Hmm?” Mina smiles at the sudden question.

“Did anyone tell you your moles are really cute?” Momo pokes her face gently. “It’s all at the right places.”

Mina blushes. Nothing ever meant more than what Momo tells her. It was cringy but adorable – only Momo could pull that off.

“I’m glad that my moles are on your mind apart from food all the time.” She gives a light peck to Momo’s fingers. “Thank you, really.”

They both sat in the practice room, side by side.

“It’s been really long since we last danced together. I can’t remember when’s the last time we danced together in the practice room, all sweaty and murky like this.”

“I know. I’ve been away for too long.”