Pots of meals, bags of snacks, and bottles and cups of drinks prepared to fill the staff, crew, and of course twice themselves are sitting flat on a table sticked up to the wall. Inside the waiting room with a ‘cafeteria’ sign hanging on its door. Facing the table, a sandwich is lying flat on another white table surrounded by four folding chairs with the same colour. In it, ham, a tiny slice of cheese, three strips of bacon, and some onion. Everything packed between the two light brown bread that were just toasted correctly.

The only reason the toast is lying down on the table instead of being munched by Tzuyu’s little mouth is its heat. Tzuyu is sitting on a chair, waiting for the toast to cool down. And while she waits, she’s taking a deep dive into her phone.

The door is knocked. Tzuyu turns her phone off to see who’s at the door.

“Hi, Jihyo-unnie.”

“Oh, hi Tzuyu.” Jihyo says with a sunny smile seeing her maknae.

“You’ve eaten yet, Jihyo-unnie?” Tzuyu asks with her cute and passive korean.

“It’s 2.43, of course I’ve eaten.”

But Jihyo didn’t come here for nothing, she has a little space to fill since her hefty lunch an hour ago. She looks over the ‘cafeteria’ table and she spots a yellow bag of chips.

“Yeah, a bag  of chips will do.” She grabs the bag of chips and pull a chair to sit across Tzuyu. She opens her bag and takes into the chips bag. “Can I ask you a question, Tzuyu?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Why aren’t you eating that sandwich?” She points the sandwich feminimely.

“Oh I was waiting for it to cool down. It was a little bit too hot for my liking.”

“Well I’m sure it’s not too hot for your liking, now.” Jihyo says, getting Tzuyu to grab the sandwich.

“But that’s not the question. The question is, is Nayeon bothering you?”

“Nayeon-unnie?” The little girl bites into the now less hot sandwich. “No. Not really.”

Jihyo knows too well that she’s not telling the truth. But at this point, Jihyo doesn’t want to bother herself to question deeper.

“Huh. Okay.” She digs the bag of chips instead.

 

“But Jihyo-unnie. I don’t quite understand everything.”

Jihyo stops taking her chips in, she mutters as she tilts her face curiously. “Hmm?”

“People hunt for the little things and I don’t know why.” Tzuyu says vaguely.

“Little things like?” Jihyo is getting into this one.

“Little things like… They look for my mother tongue, my thighs, my eyes. It really weirds me out sometimes.”

“What does that mean?” Jihyo asks even though she knows exactly where Tzuyu is going with this.

“It’s like. Remember that time—“

The door opens suddenly and loudly. At the same time, cutting Tzuyu of her words. Two lovely girls rush into the room. One walking faster than the other. One angrier than the other. They’re Chaeyoung and Dahyun with a cup of starbucks on each hands.

“Dahyun-unnie, Chaeyoung-ssi.”

“Tzuyu, Jihyo-unnie.”

“Tzuyu-ssi, Jihyo-unnie.”

“Dahyun, Chaeyoung.”

“You guys have eaten?” The leader asks the two.

“I’m still full.” Chaeyoung with a slightly blunt manner.

“I’m pretty hungry actually.” Dahyun says.

“Oh NOW you’re pretty hungry? We’ve drove all the way from the office and NOW you’re hungry?”

“I am, and if you have a problem with that you can—“

“CHOCOLATE”

A ringtone playing the song “Chocolate” by Day6 rings loudly. Shutting down everyone’s mouth in the room. It’s Jihyo’s phone and it’s Sana calling.

“Yeah?… You’re here?… Front gate?… Ok, I’ll be there…” Jihyo tells the phone. “You guys take care, Dahyun eat well, Tzuyu we’ll talk later. Gotta go.”

“Take care, Jihyo-unnie.” The maknae line tells Jihyo who is heading out.

Dahyun grabs a plate to fill it with rice while Chaeyoung goes to a couch at the other side of the room where she decides to be distracted by her phone. Tzuyu is in the middle of the room eating her sandwich. The atmosphere between Chaeyoung and Dahyun is something to be conditioned.

 

HALLWAY

“Quick question, is eight years a long time?” Nayeon washes her hands on the bright sink.

“Uhh, yeah that’s a long time.” Jeongyeon remarks while she stands resting on the wall.

“Another quick question, how about being friends for eight years?”

“Eight years? Yeah, that’s pretty decent. Why?” Jeongyeon returns a question while they go through the toilet door.

“I thought you’re known for being able to sense people’s thoughts.”

“Nobody said I’m a superhero.”

“What did Chaeyoung say, then?”

“Chaeyoung said I can tell where conversations are going. She didn’t say I read minds.” Jeongyeon corrects Nayeon. “But I can’t tell where this one is going”

“Are you kidding me? We’ve known each other for that long.” Nayeon hits Jeongyeon’s left shoulder with her rather humongous hand.

“We have?” Jeongyeon doesn’t remember.

“What’s two thousand and eighteen substracted by eight?”

“Two thousand and ten. Oh, 2010? We’ve been friends since then?”

“Come on, I don’t have to remind you of these things.”

“Yeah, but do you really have to keep notes on your friendships? Like how far they go?”

“Well, not really, but…” Nayeon looks for another way to address her point. “Ok, how about this. Eight is just a number and a year is…”

“A year is three hundred and sixty five days.”

“Yeah. And maybe eight years is insignificant for a lifetime. But for you and me, that’s a third of our lives.”

“Huh, never thought of that.”

“Besides, you can’t deny our relationship.” Nayeon says, jokingly alluringly.

“Relationship? Nayeon, we’re not dating.”

“No, I didn’t say— we’re not, but you can’t deny this thing we got going on.”

“This thing we  got going on? Are you serious?” Jeongyeon questions Nayeon’s corny words.

“Like, remember that time everybody left and we’re locked in the practice room? That’s our thing that’s been going on.”

“Or like that time we’re stuck in a bus station?” Jeongyeon adds another memory.

“After we watched captain america?”

“For a whole night because it was raining and no bus drove through?” She continues.

“Or that time I asked you to go to an eatery with me. Until you find out the restaurant doesn’t even exist.” Nayeon says.

“And you were just taking a piss? Oh sorry, wasn’t that just now?” Jeongyeon says without forgetting a smile, getting a big laugh out of the two of them. They laugh and they spend quite a time looking at each other lovingly as friends.

“Not to be gay Jeongyeon, but I love you. And I’m grateful to be friends with a girl like you.”

“Since you’re being corny right now. Have I mentioned that I love you too? And basically, this whole thing, man. This whole TWICE thing. I love every single one of you. I love every single second of it. I just can’t find me being me outside of this whole thing.”

“Let’s stay this way forever, shall we.” Nayeon tells her best friend. Her words from the deepest part of her deepest heart and soul. She truly wants this to never end.

Ever.

 

FRONT GATE

“How are we doing?” Our leader asks Sana who is standing right in front of the gate. Where Mina is standing a few feet behind her with a little coat.

“She’s doing it. She’s performing tonight.”

“What?”

“She’s being really persistent.” Sana says stealthily in case Mina hears her. “I can’t handle her.”

“I can handle it, Jihyo.” Mina moves forward.

“You’re sick, no.”

“I was, but I’ll be ok for the show.”

“Even if you’re okay right now, I’m not letting you go tonight.”

“That’s why I took some meds.” Mina sells Jihyo another reason to consider.

Jihyo isn’t buying it. Jihyo doesn’t want to bet on such a big risk for a member. She takes her hand to Mina’s forehead to check her temperature. It’s not really hot. And it’s not really cold. It’s moderate. Jihyo is almost convinced Mina is totally well. But she’s still struggling to give Mina an ‘okay’.

“How about this. After the show. I’ll be full resting after the show. No practices, no nothing.”

Jihyo is still not moving.

“Are you really going to perform a three hour show with only eight people on the stage?”

Jihyo considers everything that she has been taking. And she thinks hard. They have thousands of people to perform to. But letting Mina do the show could only make her cough even louder.

“Fine.” Jihyo gives in. “You’re a good dancer and singer. Do me a favor and don’t be that for a night. We need you again tomorrow.”

Mina smiles in finally hearing a ‘fine’ from Jihyo. One problem for the day is unsolved.

Then the three’s phone rang together. The manager started a group call.

“Dressing room In five, girls. Don’t be late.” The manager reminds for the make up applying and the hair styling at 5 PM.

It’s still 4.32. A half hour to the actual preparation. But why would Jihyo wait? She’s going now. Jihyo cuts to every chase she can cut to. Jihyo nods her head in signal to the two japanese member to go to the dressing room now instead of thirty minutes later.

Not long after, the nine of them are gathered in the dressing room. And in the fairly large room, mixed air are throwing against each other. The atmosphere is not well. And although none of the the hair stylist nor the make up artist in the room knows what is actually going on. TWICE themselves is fully aware of the mild tension in the room.

The moment everything is ready, the clock hits six PM.

The show is starting. Make ups are applied. Hairs are styled. Stage lights are set. The screen plays the vcr. Soundbar is pulled all the way up. Spirits are lit.

ONCEs are ready.

YOU IN MY HEART.