Riding With You
Of Stressful Days and Bike Rides"Aren't they from Twice?"
"They don't look that special to me."
"They aren't. They have no talent anyways."
"Yeah. They're supposed to be singers but can't even hold a note."
"I know right. Their leader is the main vocal but she doesn't sing well and isn't that pretty-"
"They don't look that special to me."
"They aren't. They have no talent anyways."
"Yeah. They're supposed to be singers but can't even hold a note."
"I know right. Their leader is the main vocal but she doesn't sing well and isn't that pretty-"
"Chaeyoung, Tzuyu. Hey, sorry for making you wait. Let's go home," Dahyun unnie said as she suddenly popped up from nowhere, grabbed Chaeyoung's and my hand and walked off before those girls could finish their sentence. I wished they would just shut up. The other two had obviously heard that conversation too. Having known them for a year or more now, it was obvious that their smiles were fake. We walked arm in arm towards to the car where our manager was waiting.
"Don't let their words get to your head," unnie said once we were safely in the car. Being the eldest between the three of us, Dahyun unnie always felt responsible when it came to protecting us in school. She even promised to protect us from bullies. An idea I found particularly hilarious since she was a head shorter than I was and looked like she couldn't hurt a fly.
I leaned my head against the window. Letting the cool glass soothe the pain in my head. The words, the insults, they hurt but I started to learn to ignore them. I did try my best to keep off sites where hate was evident, but the comments were everywhere. The controversy from ealier in the year only added to the already existing flame.
However, it wasn't the comments about myself that bothered me. It was the comments about her. Our precious, little leader. In my opinion, Jihyo unnie doesn't deserve the negative attention she's been receiving. In my eyes she was already perfect. The comments about her weight and her 'unstable' vocals were ridiculous.
Our manager's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. We had stopped by a restaurant for lunch before returning to the dorms. We went in and took a seat at an empty table in the corner of the room, trying our best to avoid drawing any attention; only to fail miserably. The waiter came to take our orders but all I could hear were the comments again. Chaeyoung nudged me, bringing me back to reality and I gave my order. We had some small talk to block out the noise but the damage had been done.
Thankfully the food soon arevived. We ate quickly and immediately went back to the dorm.
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"Unnie, we're home!" Chaeyoung shouted as we stepped into the dorm.
"Hey, welcome back kids," a loud voice called out before a figure emerged from the kitchen. "Have you eaten?" Jihyo unnie asked, giving us a motherly smile. Dahyun unnie nodded her head and looked around. "Where are the other members?" Chaeyoung asked when she noticed that the dorm was a lot more peaceful than usual. "They went to get stuff for dinner," Jihyo unnie answered and turned to me, having noticed my silence. "You alright Tzuyu?" she asked, worry etched onto her face.
I walk past her, heading straight for my room and shut the door behind me. I threw my bag next to the bed and climbed onto the mattress. Shutting my eyes, I tried to sleep and ignore the voices coming from behind the door. My head hurt and I was tired from both the lack of sleep and from the emotional stress I've received. The insults kept running through my head making me bury my face into my pillow and scream into it, getting rid of the stress. Then I just laid there, savouring the silence.
A soft knock broke the silence in the room before the door creaked and opened, revealing our leader dressed in her sportswear and holding two helmets. "Get changed Yoda. We're going for a ride," she said as she threw me a helmet. I caught it right before it hits me in the face and gave her blank stare. I was not in the mood for this. I opened my mouth to protest but she cut me off before I could, giving me her 'leader-glare' as if telling me that she won't take no as an answer.
"Fine. Get out," I grumbled and got out of bed. She grinned and walked out, closing the door behind her as I walked to my closet. I got changed and grabbed the helmet before dragging my lifeless body out into the living room. She stood by the door, dragging both our bikes out the doorway with help from Chaeyoung and Dahyun unnie. I put on my shoes and joined them. "You're not joining us?" I asked when I noticed that they weren't dressed for a ride. They shook their head. "We have stuff to do at home," Chaeyoung replied. "Bye. Have fun!" Dahyun unnie waved at us before shutting the door.
And with that, Jihyo unnie and I took off on our bikes.
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The weather was perfect for a bike ride.
The sun was shining and its rays warming my skin. The warm summer breeze blew as we rode our bikes along the paths. We were at a park by the Han River. The waters were clear blue with the sunlight reflecting off it, making it glow brightly. The park was quite packed today. People of all age and sizes were cycling, jogging or just having fun in general. The both of us came here often, usually to ride our bikes. The members rarely joined us and Sana unnie had once expressed her jealousy when she found out that we were cycling without her.
I looked up, watching Jihyo unnie who was riding up ahead. She had let go of the handle bars, arms raised as she enjoyed the wind. Unconsciously, I smiled at her. She was cute when she's having fun. I shook away those thought and pedalled faster to catch up with the older girl. She turned back and noticed that I was getting closer. I saw her smirk as she began to pedal faster and suddenly we were having a race.
Taking up her challenge, I began to pedal faster too. We raced through the park, zooming past trees and people, watching the beautiful scenery go by. We laughed as we tried to out-cycle the other. The sound of her laughter helping me momentarily forget the stress I've been having. We eventually came to a halt by a statue in the middle of the park. "I guess it's a tie," she said, grinning at me. I nodded, trying to catch my breath but it started again.
My ears perked up as the comments came flooding in. The park's patrons have started to notice us. It wasn't that difficult after all, given that we didn't have a mask or shades on. Then the comments came. I watched as her smile faltered when a group of girls started commenting on her appearance. My grip on the bike handles tightened and I tried my best to keep a neutral expression. She must have noticed my distress as she signalled for me to follow her and started pedalling.
"Come. I know a place we can go," I heard her say as we cycled away.
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"I used to come here a lot as a kid."
After the incident, Jihyo unnie had brought me to a more secluded part of the park and got off her bike, asking me to do the same. "Just leave the bikes here. I want to show you something," she said before leading me away from the bikes. We walked side by side up a small incline, following a small gravel path that looked relatively unused. Right before we reached our destination, she turned to me and asked me to cover my eyes. Obediently, I followed her instructions as she lead me by the hand. She eventually came to a stop and asked me to open my eyes. "We're here!" she said and my eyes widened at the sight.
I couldn't believe my eyes. The place was beautiful as though it was untouched by human hands. We were on top of a small hill by the river which had a breathtaking view of the park. It was pretty high and I could barely make out the figures of the people below, rushing by like busy ants. There was a cool breeze as the day began turning to night. She took a seat on the grass and asked me to join her. We sat there in silence, enjoying the scenery laid out before us.
"I found this place a few years back. I was already a trainee then and would come to the park during my free time. On the day I found this place, I was extremely stressed out. I remember just standing here and just letting everything go. Shouting out my problems, throwing them into the river and not worrying of whether others would care." She stopped and turned to look at me before she continued, "Chaeyoung told me what happened today. Maybe you should try it too. Just let everything out." And so I did.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out. Cursing at the comments about the group, about the members, about her. She kept quiet the whole time, watching me as I went berserk. When I was done, I closed my eyes and laid on her lap. She ran her hands through my hair as she leaned against the tree trunk behind her. I've always found Jihyo unnie's presence comforting. Like nothing could go wrong as long as I was with her. I wish life could always be just like this. No pain, no stress, no anger. A sweet melody filled the air as she began singing softly.
And I allowed her sweet voice to lull me to sleep.
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I woke up as the sun began to set.
Opening my eyes, I was welcomed by the sight of our leader. She had her phone out and was taking pictures of the sunset before us. Discreetly, I pulled out mine and took a picture of the beautiful angel beside me. The yellow-orange hues highlighting her already distinct features. Her large eyes were shining and her pink lips were curled into a small smile. I always loved it when she smiled, which was why I had sworn to protect it.
"You're awake," her voice brought me back to reality. I nodded as I got off her lap. "How long was I asleep?" I asked while leaning against the tree and pulled her into my arms. "About an hour," she answered before nuzzling her face into my neck. I pressed my lips against her forehead while her brunette locks, holding her close as if I was protecting her from the harsh reality of the world we live in.
"You do know that you can just ignore their comments right? You don't need to worry about me," she said breaking the silence, pulling away to look me in the eyes. "I can't just stay aside and let them spread lies about you," I replied. "Some aren't exactly lies you know," she muttered softly but I heard it. Here she was, doubting herself again. Her head was down, her shoulders slouched and her breathing was uneven. She was about to cry. I pulled her closer as tears started streaming down her face. She meant the world to me and I was going to let her know it.
"Park Jisoo," I called her by her birth name as I lifted her head up to face me. "Don't listen to what they say. They don't know you like I do. You're beautiful, you're talented, you're amazing." She started blushing as I said this."But, most importantly," I continued with my hand travelling to her cheeks, pushing a stray lock of hair away from her face and wiping away the tears. "You are mine." And, with that I cupped her cheeks, leaned forward and captured her lips. Letting my actions show how much I care. She kissed back with equal fervour.
The ringing of her phone spoiled the moment. I groaned as she pulled away with an apologetic smile. She picked up her phone, only to turn pale when she saw who had called. "What's wrong? Who is it?" I got up immediately upon seeing her expression. Looking at the sky, I realised that it was already dark out. Mentally cursing, I prayed, hoping that the caller wasn't PD-nim or our managers or worse....
"It's Jeongyeon." Damn.
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"Where have you two been?"
Those were the first words we heard as we stepped into the dorm. After being screamed at over the phone, Jihyo unnie and I quickly got on our bikes and cycled home, taking a shorter route pass some cafés. Upon arriving at the dorm, we tried sneaking in to avoid getting into any trouble; only to get caught before we could even take a step into the room. My 'parents' had been waiting for us.
Jeongyeon unnie stood in front of us, arms crossed with a look of disapproval written all the over her face. Nayeon unnie stood beside her, trying to look as intimidating as she could, but failing. The other members were having dinner in the living room, looking more amused than anything. I turned to Jihyo unnie who was standing beside me. It was pretty obvious to those around us that only Jeongyeon unnie could scare our mighty leader. It only got worse after we started dating and Jungyeon unnie started acting like an overprotective father.
"Well?" Jeongyeon unnie raised an eyebrow and glared at my much shorter girlfriend. Jihyo unnie smiled nervously while trying to explain herself. She looked like a child that was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I did my best to stifle my laughter but failed finding the situation too hilarious. My 'dad' glared at me before bursting out in laughter. "You should have seen your face, Jihyo," she said in between her laughter. The rest of the members laughed too and unnie turned to me looking betrayed.
"Go get cleaned up and join us for dinner you two," Nayeon unnie said with a motherly smile. We both nodded before running off to our rooms to get our clothes. "Park Jisoo, we still need to have a talk after this," Jeongyeon unnie shouted. I watched as my girlfriend tensed up before stepping into the bathroom. Right before the door closed, she turned to me and mouthed, "I love you." Then shut the door. I smiled and stepped into the other bathroom feeling lighter than I had felt before. The stress of the day had been lifted off my chest.
And, I would have to thank a simple bike ride for that.
A/N: Congratulations! You've reached the end of the story.
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Hope you guys enjoyed it and I apologise for any mistakes I've probably made.
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