A/N: Hi everyone! I'm a friend of the author's who's taking over the account for a little while (I have been already keke). You can call me Mia! Anyway, this piece is an older piece of the author's. Also, it's their longest piece to date being more than 7k words. It does have a side of another ship (you'll know when you read it, I'm not spoiling anything :P) so if you don't like that ship, I apologise on behalf of the author. There are no perspectives in this; where you see their name, it's just going to be focussing more on that certain member's thoughts more than anything else. Enough talking, I'll let you get on with reading this!

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~~~~~~~

Tzuyu

Why was she like this? Tzuyu had no idea. It had happened countless times, it still happens now, but she never changes. Why couldn’t she just be selfish for once? Why did she care about someone else more than herself? Tzuyu put in more effort just to make sure she smiled, to make sure she was happy. Was it wrong for her to want to receive some sort of love back? Something that wasn’t a result of her being a substitute? What did she have to do to have her closer to herself rather than be someone who was used because there was no one else around her?

She was so sick of being the second choice, the one that was only paid attention to when no one else paid attention to her. It was as if she knew that Tzuyu would always be there for her, never leaving her side. For once, why couldn’t Tzuyu say no? Why did she become so weak in front of her? No matter how many times she's been the second choice, she’d always cared about her. Could someone give her the strength to stay away? She felt used; she felt unloved; she felt hopeless. Why was she playing with her feelings? One minute she was with Tzuyu, the next with someone else. Best friends aren’t meant to be like that, right?

Minatozaki Sana was making Tzuyu insane.

The thoughts swam around her head as she stared at the ceiling in their dorm bedroom. She always questioned it; why she was so fond of Sana. Somehow along the way from their debut, Tzuyu had ended up falling head over heels with the Japanese girl and the treatment she was getting from her was cruel. It wasn’t exactly Sana’s fault since she didn’t know how Tzuyu felt but surely, being chosen as the friend to fall back on would mean something. Now, Tzuyu was left feeling frustrated in her bed at 3am in the morning.

She snuck out of her room, creeping along the hallway of the dorm until she reached the living room, surprised to see Jihyo sitting in front of the television.

“Unnie?” Tzuyu whispered, making Jihyo jolt up in surprise.

“Chewy? Why are you awake?” Jihyo asked.

“I would ask you the same thing Unnie.” Tzuyu replied, smiling sadly.

Jihyo noticed this and pat the space next to her on the couch. “What’s wrong Chewy-ah?”

“Nothing Unnie. You? It’s weird that you’re awake at this time.” Tzuyu mumbled, but not able to fool their leader.

“Tzuyu. Please tell me.” Jihyo pleaded, attempting to give Tzuyu her puppy eyes.

“I’m just – I’m so sick of being the backup friend.” Tzuyu mumbled.

“Whose backup friend? Sana’s?” Jihyo asked.

Tzuyu nodded. “It hurts here.” She whispered, hitting her chest.

Jihyo knew Tzuyu wasn’t good with words but that simple gesture was enough to break her own heart. For the maknae to actually talk about her feelings was rare; she often kept to herself or talked to Chaeyoung instead.

“Why does it hurt so much Unnie? Why does it hurt being another resort since the first one didn’t work out? Why do I keep going back to her no matter how much pain she causes me? Why do I get treated the way I do when I’m her best friend? Why – why did I have to fall in love with her?” Tzuyu whimpered, bursting into tears.

If her heart was broken from Tzuyu’s gesture earlier, now it was torn into little, little pieces. The maknae was in love with Sana. The maknae was in love with Sana. She repeated that over and over in her head. Out of all the members, she’d fallen in love with the one who broke her heart more times than she could count. Jihyo pulled Tzuyu into her embrace, patting her back to console her.

“When we love someone, we do anything to make them happy; even if it means sacrificing our own happiness for the sake of theirs. You want to make them smile so you pretend nothing bothers you. Even if you’re in pain, you ignore it so that the person could be happy. You want them to give you more attention but you’re afraid to ruin your friendship. You want to confess but you think you’ll be rejected. Being in love…. It hurts when it’s one-sided.” Jihyo said, holding back her tears.

Tzuyu continued to sob in Jihyo’s arms, no sign of calming down. Jihyo pressed light kisses to her head, rocking her back and forth as she lay in her arms.

“I think we need to come up with a mission to change things between you and Sana. We’re going to help you get through this Tzuyu-ah. I promise.” Jihyo whispered, earning a nod from Tzuyu.

~~~~~~~

Jihyo

The latter fell asleep shortly after and Jihyo carefully carried her into her room, tucking her into her bed before she headed back to her own room. She sighed heavily at the position Tzuyu was in. Why was it so reflective of her own?

It was almost morning anyway so she continued staying up, deciding to start up cooking breakfast to lure out some of the members. If she were to be honest, Tzuyu was really worrying her. At her age, she shouldn’t be going through such feelings; she should be going through happiness and joy and fun. Why was she going through heartbreak? She shook her head at her own thoughts, taking out some eggs to fry.

Momo and Mina seemed to be the first ones to wake, greeting Jihyo enthusiastically as they entered the kitchen.

“You’re already awake Jihyo?” Momo asked a little sleepily.

“Yeah. Thought I should make you guys breakfast.” Jihyo replied, giving the two a smile.

An idea suddenly popped into her head as she observed the two Japanese members.

“Guys, I have a favour to ask of you two.” Jihyo started.

“As long as it’s not anything bad, I’m in.” Momo mumbled.

“Sure Jihyo. What’s up?” Mina answered too.

“You guys are sure?” Jihyo asked again.

“You’re worrying me now.” Momo implied.

“No, no. It’s not anything bad. I promise. Just don’t ask for details why.” Jihyo denied.

“Then what is it?” Mina asked, a little jumpy on her seat.

“Can you two spend more time with Tzuyu? Well, preferably Mina, since Momo, you’re with Jeongyeon a lot. Like, try to keep her away from Sana?” Jihyo asked, biting her lip.

“Uh – sure. You told us not to ask why so I’ll keep my mouth shut. Won’t Sana be affected though?” Momo said.

“We’ll see if it does.” Jihyo replied.

The two nodded, agreeing to do Jihyo’s favour easily.

“Thanks, you two!” Jihyo squealed, hugging them both.

“We know you have a good reason behind it and we trust you.” Mina said appreciatively.

“Do I smell something in the kitchen?!” Jeongyeon shouted, heading towards them.

“Unnie, the maknaes are still sleeping.” Jihyo nudged.

“Oh? Sorry.” Jeongyeon laughed, scratching her head.

“Will you go wake up the other two though?” Jihyo gulped, trying to keep her voice stable. Jeongyeon nodded, walking back to the biggest room to wake Sana and Nayeon up.

She didn’t know if this would work at all but it was worth a try. There must be a reason that Sana kept going back to Tzuyu, even if she was a second choice. For once, she wondered what Sana would feel when that backup of hers wasn’t there. Jihyo wanted to know if it affected Sana in the slightest. There was a fondness in Sana’s eyes when she interacted with Tzuyu; something that wasn’t present with anyone else. Jihyo was surprised no else had picked up on it actually; she’d deemed it quite obvious. That’s the true reason she wanted to test this out; to figure out Sana’s thoughts.

Jihyo plated up the food and headed to the maknae line room, knocking before she entered. Chaeyoung and Dahyun had their mouths hanging open, hands hanging off the bed and snoring slightly while Tzuyu was sleeping as straight as a log. She chuckled at the difference between them. Jihyo went for Dahyun first, knowing she was the hardest to wake up. Surprisingly, the orange haired girl had woken up in 10 minutes; simply outstanding. Chaeyoung was next and she woke up quicker than Dahyun had; all Jihyo had to do was wake Tzuyu up. Before she could do that, Mina burst into their room, deciding to act upon their plan.

“Jihyo, I’ll take care of her. You check the other two.” Mina smiled.

Jihyo nodded as she moved to the bathroom, banging it harshly as the two girls were half asleep and brushing their teeth. The girls shook their heads at the noise, traces of sleep gone from their faces and Jihyo bit back a smile.

“Hurry up you two.” Jihyo said, trying to sound intimidating.

“Y-yes Unnie.” Dahyun and Chaeyoung stuttered, washing up and heading towards the kitchen. As Jihyo returned to the others, she was greeted with a confused face from Sana.

~~~~~~~

 “Where’s Tzuyu?” Sana asked the two new members at the table.

“She was still sleeping so Mina Unnie went to wake her up.” Chaeyoung mumbled, diving into her food. Jihyo noticed how Sana had become stiff at those words and she smiled at herself; maybe this plan wasn’t a bad idea.

“Mina! Are you guys done?” Jihyo shouted.

“Just helping Tzu brush!” Mina replied.

Once again, Jihyo noticed the fact that Sana’s hands had turned into fists. Oh boy, this was really affecting her. But the real question was why?

Mina came into the kitchen with her arm thrown around Tzuyu who was rubbing her eyes. Sana looked up, a hint of a smile on her face as she watched the maknae stumble into the seat next to Momo.

“Yoda! Did you sleep well?” Momo asked, ruffling Tzuyu’s hair, earning a whine out of her.

“Ya, stop annoying her in the morning.” Mina scolded.

“Do maknaes have school today?” Nayeon asked the manager who shook his head.

The girls often missed out on their school work and were left behind to catch up on a huge pile of work since they couldn’t attend due to promotions.

~~~~~~~

Sana

Sana didn’t know why she was feeling so mad with everyone being so clingy with Tzuyu. The fact that Mina had gone to wake her up, Momo ruffling her hair and teasing her. Why was this making her mad?

She shook the thoughts out of her head and continued eating her food.

“Are you okay Sana Unnie?” Dahyun whispered. Sana simply nodded, faking a smile as she shovelled the rest of the food down her own throat. She could always rely on Dahyun to make her feel better.

~~~~~~~

“What’s the plan today then?” Jeongyeon asked.

“Well, we have some time before our surprise meeting with the fans before our rehearsals.” Nayeon said excitedly.

“So everyone doing their own thing this morning then?” Mina asked, earning a nod from their manager.

They all shuffled to the sink, places their dirty dishes and rinsing their hands as Jeongyeon waited for them to be done.

“Dahyunnie, do you want to go out to the park?” Sana asked.

Tzuyu stiffened at the question, expecting Sana to ask her next if it didn’t go to her plan. She looked down, wiping her hands on a towel and moving away.

“Sorry Sana Unnie. Chaeyoung and I need to do some homework.” Dahyun pouted, making Tzuyu widen her eyes. She couldn’t do it; she couldn’t be the next person. She knew she’d say yes.

“Tz–”

“Hey Tzuyu, Momo and I are going to the mart. Let’s go.” Mina said, pulling a surprised Tzuyu along. Sana was left shocked and pouting, what was she going to do now? Her Japanese friends were out too.

Jihyo smirked at Momo and Mina’s successful plan; things were working out well.

~~~~~~~

Tzuyu

The maknae was confused and lost; she was currently being dragged out with two Japanese members and she had no clue why. One of their managers was trailing behind them, trying to seem oblivious to the girls’ presence.

“Unnies... what’s going on?” She asked.

“Nothing much Tzu. We just wanted to spend more time with you.” Momo chuckled, intertwining her hands in Tzuyu’s.

Tzuyu blushed, totally surprised by the contact. Sure, Momo always interacted with the other members but she rarely initiated skinship herself. She felt giddy with happiness. She almost had a heart attack when Sana had started mentioning her name after being denied by Dahyun. A part of her felt bad that Sana was left alone but another part of her was happy that things didn’t turn out the way they usually did.

~~~~~~~

Unaware to the three, Sana was following them, who was being followed by Jihyo. What was going on? No one had any idea. Jihyo was being enlightened with the fact that Sana was following the trio in the first place. Sana, on the other hand, was clueless as to why she was following her own group members. It was like an automatic reaction when Tzuyu had left the house. The two of them trailed behind the trio, watching as they popped into different stores and giggled while window shopping.

Watching them made Sana feel guilty; but what had she done wrong? Why was she feeling guilty? She hadn’t realised she was standing in front of the store they were in for a while until she heard someone call out to her.

“Sana Unnie? What are you doing here?” Jihyo called out loudly, making sure to get the trio’s attention. It worked; the three of them turned their attention to see Sana behind them, black hoodie and mask and looking like she’d been caught partaking in a massive crime.

Tzuyu was confused yet again. One, she was taken out shopping with the other two Japanese members and now Sana was following them as they did go out.

“U-uh. I just came to do some shopping.” Sana said, making the other four members look at her curiously.

“Well, we’ll let you do that.” Mina frowned, snaking her arms around Tzuyu’s waist and leaving.

~~~~~~~

Sana

Why was she currently feeling so mad? Why was the sight of Tzuyu leaving with Mina and Momo causing her so much distress? She was feeling frustrated and annoyed with everything. The morning had been one thing and now it’s this. It felt like… it felt like Tzuyu was being taken away from her. But she never owned Tzuyu in the first place. It felt like her best friend was being stolen and someone else was claiming to be their best friend. It was making her feel like she was about to lose her precious Tzuyu… to her own band members.

~~~~~~~

Jihyo watched as Sana frowned at something she was looking at. She was sure the front packaging of a bag of chips wasn’t that deep that it would need analysis. She shook her head at Sana, unsure whether to approach her or not.

“Did you suddenly forget Korean?” Jihyo asked.

Sana stilled, almost dropping the packet of chips. “Nah, I just got lost in thought. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, just came to get Tzuyu some snacks.” Jihyo replied, biting back a smile as Sana clenched her chips tighter. “I’ll see you back at the dorm. Take care.” She walked away.

~~~~~~~

Sana

All members returned to the dorm in the following hour; a weird atmosphere present among them. It just seemed like all the members were happy and smiling and then there was Sana, who looked as if she’d just lost her favourite toy.

“Sana Unnie, are you okay?” Dahyun asked.

“Of course Dahyunnie.” Sana replied, faking a smile that Dahyun believed with ease.

“Alright girls, everyone head to the cars please. Momo, Mina, Tzuyu and Jihyo in one car. Sana, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Nayeon and Jeongyeon in the other.” Their manager called out.

They accepted their positions and moved towards their respective car; Sana felt her heart almost break into two hearing Tzuyu giggle with Momo, Mina and Jihyo. She clenched her fists and tried to calm herself down, after all, they were going to meet fans soon. Sana tried to shake any thoughts of Tzuyu out of her head which worked for about five minutes before she found herself thinking about her again.

Was she comfortable with the others? Will she be talkative? Will she be quiet? Will she fall asleep? Tzuyu always sat with Sana no matter what and now that she wasn’t in the same car as her, it was making her upset. She’d rarely spent any time with Tzuyu in the past two days and it was driving her insane.

“Why are you frowning so much?” Nayeon whispered to her.

“Huh?” Sana asked, feeling confused.

“You’ve been frowning and letting go, frowning and letting go repeatedly for the past five minutes. What’s on your mind?” Nayeon asked.

“Never mind.” Sana answered.

“Come on, tell me Sana.” Nayeon nudged, feeling the need to push the Japanese girl.

“It’s nothing big. Just thinking about Tzuyu.” Sana mumbled.

Nayeon’s eyes widened in surprise. “Tzuyu?”

“I just miss her presence.” Sana murmured.

Nayeon thought deep about Sana’s feelings, unsure of what to give as advice. “But why? It’s just a car ride.”

“It’s not only the car ride. I miss her being around me. I miss her laugh; I miss her talkativeness. I miss everything.” Sana said, frustrated.

“You two are always around each other though. Tzuyu always stays with you no matter what.” Nayeon pointed out.

“But not for the past few days.” Sana mumbled.

“It’s good. Tzuyu is connecting with other members too. She can’t always be by your side.” Nayeon reasoned.

“I know that but I feel like she’s slipping away from me.” Sana whimpered.

“I doubt it. No matter what, Tzuyu always puts you before everything else.” Nayeon shrugged, patting Sana’s head.

Before she could say anything else, they reached their destination, all members piling out of the cars. Her gaze flitted to Tzuyu, watching on as she giggled with Mina. She wished she could head over to Tzuyu instead. Sana was left surprised by her own thoughts, shaking her head and giving their fans a smile. She had to focus on the fans. Not Tzuyu.

~~~~~~~

Tzuyu

While travelling to their destination, the other members had informed them of the plan that they’d being going through for the past few days. They were going to continue it today, in front of fans. Tzuyu was once again left feeling conflicted; part of her felt like what they were doing wasn’t right but another part of her really wanted to go through with it. She pouted as she contemplated on what to do.

“Let’s go Tzu.” Mina smiled, lending her hand out to Tzuyu.

She smiled, feeling childish, taking Mina’s hand and heading out of their car. They walked up and lined in front of their fans, cameras clicking away immediately. Tzuyu could see Sana from the corner of her eye, smiling; unconsciously, she smiled as well. Mina nudged Tzuyu, giving her a teasing smile as she linked her arm in hers.

They greeted their fans, letting Jihyo and Nayeon do the talking as Tzuyu and Mina whispered and giggled to themselves.

~~~~~~~

Sana

Seeing the two of them giggling and whispering was making Sana really angry. Why was Mina being so clingy towards Tzuyu? Why couldn’t that be her? Actually, why was she feeling like this in the first place? She’d been thinking about Tzuyu a lot more than usual lately. Nayeon’s words were still lingering in her mind. What had she meant by saying Tzuyu put her in front of everything else? This feeling of anger that was bubbling in her chest was because of her best friend being taken away from her, wasn’t it?

Over the years she’d known Tzuyu, no one had been able to make her smile and giggle like she was currently doing with Mina. During Sixteen, Sana had found herself putting her trust in Tzuyu unlike anyone else. Rarely had the Taiwanese girl talked about herself, but she’d always listen to Sana, no matter what she had to say.

She hadn’t realised what it was, but Sana had actually kept Tzuyu close to her for the reason that she didn’t want other members to steal her away. As she stood alongside her members, watching on, she was understood what this anger actually was. She was jealous. Jealous of the fact that she was about to lose her best friend. Jealous of the fact that someone had made her laugh. Jealous of the fact that Mina was where she wanted to be. She was jealous because she wanted to be the only one to make Tzuyu happy.

Holy , she loved her best friend.

~~~~~~~

Tzuyu

She could tell that Sana had occasionally glanced over to her but she didn’t know why. Sure, they were out with fans and had to look at each other anyway but Sana kept looking every few minutes. They finished off their meeting, Mina letting go of her arm and nudging to go back to their car. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon were mucking about the coffee cart and Tzuyu laughed at them. A hand slipped through her arm and she turned around, expecting it to be Mina; it was Sana. Tzuyu calmed her heart from the action; had someone decided to not go into a car with her? The Japanese girl was giggling as the fans said something Tzuyu wasn’t paying attention to.

Tzuyu let her arm fall by her side, ignoring a slight flash of pain that was across Sana’s face. She walked over to Jeongyeon, who was standing in front of the coffee cart. Before she could reach her, Sana had bolted past, running towards Jeongyeon to hug her, getting rejected. Tzuyu scoffed at the two, smiling as Chaeyoung took pictures. Sana pouted, turning around and Tzuyu couldn’t help herself but hug her. She cursed herself for having such low self-control but basked in the presence of Sana being with her and hugging her. She pushed the thought of being the second choice out of her head, smiling on as fans and Chaeyoung took photos.

Forcing herself away from Sana’s embrace, she headed towards her car, only to be pulled by Sana’s hand towards the other car. What was this girl doing? Why was she being dragged into the other car rather than the one she was supposed to be in?

~~~~~~~

Sana

She didn’t know what came over her but she didn’t want to let go of Tzuyu’s hand when she’d held it. Sana pulled her along to their car, much to the confusion of all the other members.

“Sana?” Nayeon questioned.

“Ah, Jihyo said Chaeyoung was going to sit in with them.” Sana explained as Tzuyu slipped her hand out of her own.

“You okay Tzuy–”

“I’m going to take a nap.” Tzuyu cut Sana off, moving towards the window and leaning her head on the glass.

Sana and Nayeon shared confused glances, unsure of what Tzuyu’s actions meant.

Dahyun too, was taking a nap at the back next to Nayeon seat. They were waiting for Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung to sit in their respective cars before they could head off to rehearsals. But Sana’s mind was focussed on Tzuyu. Was she upset? Maybe she was just tired. She frowned as she looked at her sleeping form. Something seems different about her and she couldn’t place a finger on it.

“Sorry for the delay guys.” Jeongyeon apologised, hopping into the car, pushing Sana closer to Tzuyu since she was sitting in the middle. She felt Tzuyu stiffen at the contact and that only made Sana confused even more; Tzuyu never felt uncomfortable with the skinship they shared.

~~~~~~~

Jihyo

Arriving at the rehearsals, Tzuyu disappeared from Sana’s side almost immediately. All members were confused by her actions other than Jihyo. Seating Tzuyu in the other car wasn’t her idea; Chaeyoung had suggested to swap with a member and Tzuyu was the first one on her mind. Thinking about it, the way she left from Sana’s side had to have been for a reason. What could have possibly happened in the car ride?

“Is Tzuyu okay?” Dahyun voiced out everyone’s thoughts.

“I’m asking myself the same question. Ever since she’d come into the car with me, she’s been distant.” Sana explained.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Jihyo said, breaking any chances of other members doing it first.

Sana was about to argue but Jeongyeon lay her hand on her shoulder, stopping her from doing so. “Jihyo is the one who should talk to her first.”

Jihyo jogged to their preparation room, seeing Tzuyu already there with her head on her knees.

“Tzuyu?” She whispered, not wanting to scare her.

Tzuyu looked up at the sound of her leader calling out to her. The way she walked away from Sana must have confused the other members. Jihyo pulled Tzuyu up, taking her into an empty room and locking it. She moved the two of them to a couch, Tzuyu still looking at the ground and not looking up. What could have possibly happened in the little time?

“What’s wrong?” Jihyo gently asked, lifting Tzuyu’s head so she could look into her eyes.

“I think Sana Unnie must really hate me. I shouldn’t have walked away like that.” Tzuyu whimpered.

“No, no. Don’t say that. What happened in the car? Is that why you’re upset?” Jihyo asked.

“I think I’ve had it with being the second choice. I don’t think I can take it anymore. She only took me into the car because Chaeyoung wanted to swap. She only worries about me when someone else asks her. What am I to her, really?” Tzuyu cried.

“You do mean a lot to her Tzuyu. I confirmed it over the past few days. She doesn’t let it show, but she does care about you. I don’t know what it is but I’m going to have a talk with her after this, alright? Don’t give up just yet.” Jihyo comforted, hugging the crying girl.

Jihyo wiped away Tzuyu’s tears, clearing her face of any visible evidence of her crying. She pulled her up, slipping her fingers through Tzuyu’s as they headed towards the door to leave. They were greeted with a guilty looking Sana as soon as they opened the door and Jihyo could tell how nervous Tzuyu was from the way her bones were about to be broken from their intertwined hands.

“Tzuyu-ah, head back to the room with the others okay. I’ll talk to Sana now.” Jihyo whispered, pushing Tzuyu out of the door and pulling in Sana.

~~~~~~~

Sana

So, she might have decided to ignore Jeongyeon’s instructions and followed Jihyo and Tzuyu. Sana was curious about what was going on with her best friend; actually, she was worried. She placed her ear on the door where she’d seen the two of them enter, hoping to hear what was going on. She couldn’t distinguish what Jihyo was saying but she could hear Tzuyu clearly. The words that she could hear right now were breaking her heart.

I think Sana Unnie must really hate me. I shouldn’t have walked away like that.

No, no! Sana didn’t hate her at all. Where did she get that assumption in the first place? She could never hate Tzuyu. She heard some more mumbling, assuming it was Jihyo talking instead.

I think I’ve had it with being the second choice. I don’t think I can take it anymore. She only took me into the car because Chaeyoung wanted to swap. She only worries about me when someone else asks her. What am I to her, really?

It was as if Sana’s world seemed to crash at the moment she heard those words. She’d never expected Tzuyu to feel that way about her; she’d never expected to hear those words from Tzuyu. How could Sana had have treated her best friend that it had led her to say such things? She’d broken Tzuyu; she’d hurt Tzuyu and the worst part was that she didn’t even realise. Guilt ate at her as she heard Tzuyu’s thoughts.

Before she could consider it further, the door was opened and Jihyo and Tzuyu stood rooted on the spot as they saw Sana. Jihyo pushed Tzuyu out, sending her to the others and pulled Sana inside the room instead.

~~~~~~~

“So… heard everything?” Jihyo asked. Sana nodded, not relying on her voice as tears threatened to fall almost immediately.

“You know, it always amazes me that no matter what you do to Tzuyu, she never stops caring about you. No matter how many times you’ve left her for others, no matter how many times you’ve chosen someone else over her, no matter how many times you’ve left her by herself; Tzuyu always stayed by your side. I guess today was her breaking point.” Jihyo scoffed, continuing on.

“If you call Tzuyu for the simplest things, she’d come running for you. She drops everything just so that she could make you happy. Just like a week ago; she had heaps of homework but you called her and she never ended up finishing it because she spent the entire time with you. She got in trouble for it later on but she didn’t let it affect her. To her, you mean a lot more than anything else Sana. If you’re sick, she’s the one who takes care of you; if you’re in pain, she’s the one that runs to the pharmacy to treat you; if you want something, she’d run to the mart to get it for you.”

Sana was trying to wrap her head around everything Jihyo was saying while trying to muffle her own cries.

“All she wanted was you to care about her like you did with others. She wanted you to pay attention to her first. She wanted you to put her first; just once. Aren’t best friends meant to be like that? Aren’t you both meant to take care of each other? Both put each other first? Why is it always Tzuyu who does it instead? Did you stop and think about her? Did you think about how she’s left by herself at fansigns sometimes because you’re with someone else? Yes, it’s not completely your fault; other members should include her but you’re her best friend Sana. You shouldn’t be going to Tzuyu because Dahyun didn’t want to go to the park with you. You should go to the park with Dahyun after you ask Tzuyu if she wants to go first. It might seem like a small thing but for once, put Tzuyu before others. Don’t make her the second choice.” Jihyo suggested.

“Do you know how frustrated she’s been feeling Sana? She can’t sleep because of how you’ve been treating her; she’s spent hours crying about you and thinking about what was wrong with her that made you treat her differently. She’d never tell you when she feels hurt or left out, that’s her problem. She gets happy with the slightest of interactions from you; it gives her hope – hope that you’ll be there for her. You interact with her, make her laugh, make her happy and then you ditch her another day and don’t say anything at all. I don’t know what it is between you two but things need to change for the better of both Tzuyu and this group. Fans have started questioning why you two are always on and off. Everyone knows you two are the closest in the group – other than Jeongyeon and N-Nayeon. What’s been going on Sana?” Jihyo resumed, stabilising her voice.

“I-I thought that maybe she didn’t need me over her shoulder all the time. Maybe, she should spend time with the other members and get to know them. I didn’t want to push her to spend time with me. She’s the one who understands me the best; she’s the one who never judges me no matter what happens. I didn’t want to ruin that. I didn’t want to make it seem like I was super clingy and I never wanted to let her go. I don’t want to lose her. All my life, people have run away from me when I talk to them but Tzuyu was the first one to stay. She was the first person to care. She’s the most special person in my entire life and, and – I love her.” Sana whimpered, crawling into a ball as she sobbed intensely.

~~~~~~~

Jihyo

Jihyo frowned as Sana broke down in front of her. She embraced the crying girl, patting her back to comfort her. The two best friends loved each other then… but how was Tzuyu going to talk to Sana now; she was upset with everything and she’d most likely avoid Sana or run away from contact. Jihyo sighed heavily as she stared at the white ceiling of their room. She laughed bitterly as she thought about her own situation. Here she was helping everyone with a situation she shared yet she didn’t know what to do about it herself. She shook her head, pulling Sana up to head back to their preparation room. As Jihyo opened the door, she rolled her eyes internally at the presence outside the room.

“You know, I think one of you is rubbing off on the other yet I don’t know who it is.” Jihyo chuckled seeing Tzuyu on the other side of the door looking like she’d just cried her heart out.

Sana seemed to pale a little bit, sure that Tzuyu had heard her own confession. Jihyo knew she wanted to flee but before she could do so, she pushed Tzuyu to Sana and closed the door behind her. She leaned on it as she contemplated what had gone down in the past half an hour.

~~~~~~~

Tzuyu

Jihyo had pushed her away but she couldn’t leave; she wanted to know what they talked about as well. She placed her ear on the door and tried to listen, wanting to almost murder Jihyo for spilling everything about Tzuyu’s feelings.

But nothing could have prepared her for what Sana said. She didn’t know why, but she found herself crying as soon as she heard her.

She was the first person to care. She’s the most special person in my entire life and, and – I love her.

I love her.

I love her.

Holy . Oh god.

What.

How.

When.

Tzuyu was too flustered as she heard those words. How was it even possible? Sana had never hinted it. Unless… she hinted it but Tzuyu couldn’t pick up on it. She slapped her forehead as she acknowledged her stupidity. She was so caught up in her own feelings that she hadn’t realised that Sana actually liked her.

The door swung open in front of her and Jihyo chuckled as she saw Tzuyu. But the maknae was focussed on Sana, who was looking rather pale at her sighting. Before Sana could escape, Tzuyu was pushed into the room with Sana and Jihyo closed the door on the two. Of course, they could both leave but they knew they had to talk about it in the first place. They moved to the couch, sitting on opposite ends as the atmosphere turned awkward.

“I’m sorry Tzuyu. I’m sorry for everything.” Sana broke the silence first. “I know you heard everything already but I still want to apologise. You’ve stayed by my side for years now and always supported me. You’ve made me smile, you’ve made me happy. You listened to me when I go on rants and you deal with my weirdness. I always say that I don’t deserve you and I know that. How does your big heart fit in your chest?” Sana chuckled.

“I thought that you should go out and spend time with others, that’s why I never pushed you to go anywhere with me first. I thought that if I did that, maybe it would be good for the group. But I realised how stupid that idea was when I saw you out with Momo and Mina. I felt this need to protect you and keep you to myself and I realised that pushing you towards them was hurting me a lot more than I thought it would. I realised that I didn’t want to share you with anyone. And I know that makes me selfish but I just didn’t want to see the possibility of losing you to someone else.” Sana said, fiddling with her fingers.

“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me after everything you’ve been through and I know that I’ve been a crappy best friend. You deserve so much more than what I give you yet you always stay and that breaks my heart. No matter what, you’ve always stuck by my side yet I-I didn’t do anything of the sort. I know you heard me say… that I love you but you should ignore that. I don’t want to make you suffer anymore–”

“Unnie, you talk too much.” Tzuyu cut off, shuffling towards Sana on the couch and slanting her lips over Sana’s. As surprised as she was, Sana s her hands around Tzuyu’s neck, pulling her closer and she could feel Tzuyu’s pulse beating rapidly under her touch. Tzuyu lips parted slightly, kissing Sana with more passion and fervour than before. She’d been waiting for this moment since forever yet nothing could have prepared her for this moment. She was in another world, in complete bliss. She was kissing her best friend and it was the best thing in her life.

Tzuyu broke the kiss, taking in deep breaths as a result of the breath-taking moment. Nothing else she’d experienced in her life could measure up to the feeling of pleasure and happiness that arose in her chest. She gazed into Sana’s eyes, seeing the love and tenderness in her chocolate orbs; how had she never noticed them before? Her gaze fell to Sana’s lips and Tzuyu surged forward once again, kissing Sana and tangling her hand in her hair. She pulled Sana onto her lap as Tzuyu fell backwards, head hitting the arm of the couch.

Sana cupped Tzuyu’s cheeks, gently brushing her thumb over it. Her other hand gripped Tzuyu’s shirt tightly, as if letting go would mean that she would no longer be in front of her. They broke apart once again and Sana gazed at Tzuyu with confusion. What did this all mean?

“I love you too Sana.” Tzuyu chuckled at Sana’s gaze, pulling the latter down. Sana nuzzled her nose on Tzuyu’s neck as she embraced her best friend. She didn’t deserve her in the slightest.

~~~~~~~

Jihyo

Jihyo walked away from that room and went back to their preparation room, only to have five pairs of eyes land on her in worry. She was left feeling hurt by the one person who wasn’t looking but it’s not like the members had to worry about Jihyo; they had to worry about Sana and Tzuyu.

“They’re fine. Talking it out actually.” Jihyo muttered, letting her eyes glance over to the girl that seemed to be ignoring her. She sighed heavily before she walked back out, unable to be in the same room as her with the atmosphere being so tense. Jihyo headed towards the bathroom, leaning over the basin as he collected her thoughts. She couldn’t help herself as the tears fell of her eyes like rain, creating a pool in the sink. How could she think she’d ever be able to get anywhere with her? It was hurting so much yet she had to be strong for the group, strong for everyone. She couldn’t let her own feelings interfere with anything else.

~~~~~~~

Nayeon

To say that she wasn’t worried about Jihyo would be an understatement. When she walked back into the room, Nayeon couldn’t look at her, couldn’t approach her. She felt her gaze on her but Nayeon didn’t let it affect her. Why was Jihyo staring at her anyway? Before she could look up and question it, Jihyo was out of the room, banging the door shut. Nayeon jumped in her seat and all the other members turned to stare at her.

“Don’t make her suffer anymore Unnie.” Mina mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Nayeon asked, confused.

“Go after her. She needs you.” Momo pushed.

“Why does she need me?” Nayeon asked.

“Why are you so dense Im Nayeon?” Jeongyeon scolded. “Go chase after her before you lose her. Everyone in this room knows that you love her.”

Nayeon’s eyes widened at her best friend’s words.

“I-I d-don’t.” Nayeon stuttered.

“Stop lying to yourself and everyone here. Who are you trying to fool? Don’t you think Jihyo has suffered enough?” Jeongyeon cautioned.

“W-what do you mean by suffered enough?” Nayeon asked.

“Oh god, Nayeon; she loves you. If that’s not clear enough already then I don’t know what is. How do all of us know this but not you?” Momo snickered.

“W-what?” Nayeon stammered.

“GO!” They all shouted, pushing Nayeon out the door.

She breathed in and out, seeing Jihyo walking slowly back to their room. Nayeon took big steps forwards, being glad of the emptiness of the rooms along the hall. She grabbed Jihyo’s wrist and pulled her into another empty room, locking the door as she pushed Jihyo against it.

~~~~~~~

“N-Nayeon Unnie?” Jihyo stuttered as she looked up to see who had brought her inside the room.

“When were you going to tell me?” Nayeon asked softly.

“T-tell you w-what?” Jihyo asked.

“That you were in love with me.” Nayeon said sternly.

Jihyo’s face blanked out as Nayeon said those words.

“How did you find out?” Jihyo muttered, looking down.

“I asked when you were going to tell me Jihyo!” Nayeon shouted, banging her hand against the door.

“I wasn’t–”

“You weren’t going to tell me? And what? Let me be the only one with lingering feelings with you?!”

“W-what lingering f-feelings?”

Nayeon didn’t say anything else; she leaned forward, cupping Jihyo’s cheeks and closed the distance between the two of them. Jihyo’s eyes widened at the contact, not expecting it in the slightest. She froze for a moment before she returned the kiss, closing her eyes and letting her hands fall on Nayeon’s waist. She pulled her closer, eradicating any remaining space between them. Nayeon’s hands slid down Jihyo’s neck, setting fire to wherever she touched. They broke apart to breathe before Jihyo’s lips were on Nayeon’s once again, needy and with passion; she’d craved her lips for so long, she wasn’t going to let this chance slip away.

~~~~~~~

When the four of them came back to the preparation room smiling and giddy, the members knew they’d all finally worked things out. The five of them clapped slowly as they entered, making the other four blush deeply.

“About time everything worked out.” Jeongyeon said, rolling her eyes.

“At least our stage presence today will be even better.” Chaeyoung added, chuckling.

“Fans shouldn’t even notice there’s anything wrong.” Dahyun clapped.

“Congratulations you four.” Mina smiled, not forgetting to throw a glare to Dahyun and Chaeyoung.

“You’re all lucky we came here early and we had empty rooms. Imagine if those rooms had CCTV.” Jeongyeon chuckled.

The four members paled at Jeongyeon’s words, not before attacking her with slaps and pokes.

Surely they wouldn’t have cameras in the rooms, right?

---

A/N: So I hope you liked the update!  The author actually put a lot of their personal feelings into this story.

It's not the best of their work (their words not mine) but I think otherwise.

Also, they wanted Jihyo to have a partner for once (we all need to include a Jihyo pairing once in a while)

Please do let me know what you think of the story!

Hopefully the author will write a more fluffy story next time :P

Apologies for any typos!