CHAPTER TWO - THIS HEART IS ALWAYS WARM AT YOU

 

Sana walk out from the room, she can't take it to see Tzuyu lying down on hospital mattress with many wires and machines attached to her.

 

Sana started to cry while walking towards her office. Her mind is occupied of all bad memories she had when she was a child. Her head is aching, her heart is breaking.

 

Damn.. My headache is kicking in again...

 

 

Sana muttered to herself as she enter her office, lock it before she settle down in her swivel chair while massaging her temples. The pain wasn't still subsided so this time she searches her medicine to relief her throbbing head ache and stress.

 

 

She drank the medicine when she hears Momo out of the room saying "Sana? I know you were there.. I just want to inform you that if you wanna have a talk, just go and talk with me. It's better if you share your thoughts, Dr. Kang reminded you that, right? I'll always be here if you need someone right now, Sana and don't forget your soon to be wife, she will be worried if she hears that your depression is coming back again. If you want, you don't need to take in charge of Tzuyu's health, I'm going to take care her because I know you will have a hard time.. Please Sana, just please Sana... Just talk to us and we will find this out together. We were not let anything bad happens to her. We will save her, okay? Don't think too much, we can do this! I trust you could save her this time. I will go now, just go to my room and I will be happy to listen you, alright? Bye, Sana."

 

 

Sana deeply sighed, her tears were falling again as she remember the incident again.

 

"I-I don't know if I can take it if you die, T-Tzuyu." Sana's voice trembling even her hands were shaking as well.

 

She went to her cabinet and reach out a plushie. She stared the plushie before she hugs it tightly while letting her tears flow down. The memories kept flashing back on her head.

 

 

"You were here now but I'm not happy. If you were gone, who would cheer me up during this times?" Sana choked her tears while staring the stuffed toy Totoro.

 

Same place. Same hospital.

The fact that her parents died in the same hospital worries her more.

 

Sana felt sense of deja vu right now but this time, it is under her hands to dictate how Tzuyu is going to live in this world.

 

She had lost her loved ones here before and she was afraid that it might happen again.

 

(FLASHBACK)

"Appa! Appa! Wake up!!" Little Sana shakes her father's arm.

 

The nurse grabs the blanket and covers Mr. Minatozaki's body.

 

"Halmeoni! Why did she put blanket on his head?" She asked her grandmother but her grandmother was crying but she decided to tell the truth and be strong for Sana.

 

"He's gone, Sana." Her grandmother told her while patting her head.

 

 

"A-Aniyo!! Appa is talking to me just a while ago! He said we will go skiing and we will eat at the diner with mom!" Sana refused to listen her grandmother's words.

 

 

"Appa! Appa! Don't leave me! Appa! Don't joke around! Please wake up! Please! This is not funny anymore! Appa! A-Appaa... Don't die, don't die!!! Appa! Appa, listen to me! Sana! Sana will be good girl from now on! Sana will do her best in school! Sana will listen to your words! Apppaaa!!! Wake up, please!" Little Sana keep shaking her father harshly as hard as she can but still her father were remain unmoved inside the blanket.

 

 

Her grandmother watched at her granddaughter waking her father, seeing this broke her heart in tiny pieces. Sana was too young to experience this cruelty and unfairness.

 

"Sana, come on.. It's getting late. Let's get you home now and sleep."

 

"W-where's mom?" Sana weakly asked.

 

 

Her grandmother kneelt in front of her and hugged little Sana tightly as she decided to tell what happen frankly "Y-Your mom.. died earlier. You were going to ski resort for your birthday, right?"

 

Sana nodded, "Well, you can't remember that you three were on their way to the resort when your appa's car didn't function well and got you into car accident yesterday. They both died because they were on the front seat while you on the back seat that makes you only survivor in the accident, Sana.."

 

"T-They died? Even mom?" Little Sana asked.

 

"Grandma, stop joking.."Sana tried to smile to her grandmother but to her dismay, her grandma was crying too.

 

 

Little Sana looks back to her father's body, she didn't blink for a minute to observe her father closely. She can see the her father was not breathing and moving.

 

She began to cry, again. This time is harder.

 

The nurses suddenly arrived to pick up her father's body.

 

 

"Let's go, Sana. We need to get home and dressed you for the funeral."

 

 

"N-NOOO!!!!! I'LL STAY HERE WITH APPA! AND I'M GOING TO SEE MOM! I NEED TO WAKE HER UP TOO!" Sana shouted for the first time. Her grandmother grab her both arms to let the nurses take Mr. Minatozaki's body away.

 

 

"APPA! APPA! DON'T GO! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Little Sana shouted, trying to go after her father but her grandmother stopped her by holding Sana's arm tightly.

 

"Sana, we need to go home." She said calmly.

 

"No, I don't want to!! I'm not going with you!!" Sana yelled before she ran away from her grandmother.

 

"Wait, Sana-yah! Come back here!" The old lady called over her but lost her.

 

Little Sana keeps running and running until she reaches to a park nearby the hospital. She sat down on the bench there and cried again.

 

A few moments later, she noticed a tanned little girl was staring at her with big brown eyes.

 

 

"Hi.." the little girl greeted her timidly while carrying a big plushie with her. Little Sana ignored her because she doesn't feel like to be friendly today.

 

"A-Are you okay?" The little girl asked her softly as she put down her plushie on the bench and stood in front of Little Sana.

 

Little Sana keeps crying. The little girl next action surprised her when she pull Sana's head close to her as she wraps her little arms around Sana. Sana's head rest on the little girl's chest, the little girl's hands were making circles on Sana's back to comfort her.

 

"Stop crying... Jjeuwi is here.." The little girl adorably said. Little Sana decided to hug back the little girl.

 

The little girl asked her out of now where "Do you want ice cream? Here, take mine."

 

"A-niyo.. T-Thank you." Little Sana refused and let go Tzuyu's embrace as she rub her eyes to clear her tears.

 

 

"Okay.. You can share with me if you want, just tell me."Little Tzuyu sat again beside her as she eats her ice cream from her backpack. Little Sana watched her eat.

 

"Are you lost? I can help find your parents." Tzuyu asked innocently.

 

Hearing the word 'parents', tears came back from Sana's eyes again even until this time were she was old enough, she can't help to be sad and get depress about it.

 

"No... You can't find them.. They're dead."

 

"What?!" The little girl's eyes widened. "Is that true?"

 

"Yes.." Sana mumbled quietly as she wiped her tears.

 

The little girl stared at her for a while watching Sana sobbing then stopped again.

 

"That must be really sad, unnie. I know how it feels like but yours were different and hardest." The little girl sympathize.

 

"R-Really?" Sana looked at her then she notice how the little girl's beauty is outstanding. Her long black hair perfectly contrast with her skin, she can say that the little girl was also foreigner like her.

 

"Even my parents were alive, I felt like they were dead.." The little girl softly said then continued "They got separated when I was three years old because dad has another woman, starting that time, people around me like my aunt took care of me. I want to say that you were not alone, I know that there still some people who cares about you."

 

Grandma.. Momo and Mina...

 

 

Little Sana thought. She realized that they were still there for her...

 

"Uhmm.. Here! Take this, unnie!" The little girl gave her plushie. "His name is Totoro."

 

"Why are you giving your Totoro?" Sana asked.

 

"So you have companion. You know that Totoro always cheer me up when I'm sad. He can protect you all the bad things like nightmares, ghost or even bad people he can do that like in the movie. So don't hesitate to hug him sometimes becuase he is comforting." Tzuyu explained.

 

"But this is yours, how bout you?"

 

"Don't worry, I think you need him more than me. Its okay." The little girl smiled at her sincerely then she added "Take care Totoro for me, okay?"

 

"Okay.." Sana smile for the first time after her parent's death.

 

 

Then the little girl get the stuffed toy and said "Totoro, you'llI have a new friend. From now on, please make her happy. Please comfort her during her sleep and mostly don't ever leave her, okay."

 

Sana watched the little girl amusingly and she stretched her arms and gave the Totoro back in Sana's arms again "He said yes, he will be there now. You were not alone anymore. I have to go now, unnie! My uncle probably waiting for me, bye bye!" The little girl waved at her then ran away as she left.

 

Sana watched her leave with Totoro in her arms.

 

Even she receive the stuffed toy, she can't help to miss her parents that causes her a big depression as she always chooses to stay alone with her Totoro instead of playing with her childhood friends, Mina and Momo.

 

Her grandmother took her to psychiatrist to relief it and let Sana forget the incident because she was scared that Sana got traumatized so bad.

 

Little by little with the help of the people around her, Sana was back in her normal state when her parents were around. But the problem is.. Sana was having a painful head ache whenever she think that incident and that is something that she didn't overcome yet. The psychiatrist said that the headaches were the depression. So they recommended that Sana shouldn't get stress or tired.

 

Then one day, she saw the little girl again playing by herself in their school playground. She didn't know that the little tanned girl was her schoolmate. Little Sana wanted to go after her, befriend her but decided that she will just watch the little girl from far away because she think that she can't control her emotions because of their first encounter, she knew that she was shot by cupid as she grew admiring the little girl time after time when remembering how could someone younger than her comfort and made her smile after tragic event happened in her life. She smiled by herself and tell herself that she will protect this little angel at all cost.

 

 

Days turns weeks to years, Sana didn't have encourage to show herself in front of her beautiful grown up angel, yes grown up because even the tanned girl was younger than her, the girl managely grew a lot that Sana was smaller than her by centimeters. Also, she got the little tanned girl's name and personality with the constant stalking for over years.

 

 

"Hey, Sana.. Are you sure you're not going to help her this time? We've been watching her for like hours" Her bestfriend Momo impatiently said to her. Momo and Mina knew Sana's little girl as much as they remember because Sana couldn't stop talking about her in a day. She could talk about how her stalking went and said that she wasn't deserve to be get bullied with such beautiful face and kindness.

 

 

Sana knew how the tanned girl act towards to others. At first, she knew there's something wrong because as she saw the tanned girl before she has cheery side and get easily pity to someone or something as she tries to help them but years going, she saw how the tanned girl change into not the real herself as she wears cold and emotionless face. She knows that bullying is one of those reasons.

 

 

Many girls hated her after all. When their crushes have liking towards to the name of Chou Tzuyu, they can't help to hate her to extent that they were hurting her by hurtful words spitted out from her behind and also like this when they were gang up to attack the poor tanned girl.

 

 

"You ! You take all the boys in Class 3?! You were like your mom! Like mother, like daughter! You're not that beautiful! You hypnotize them!" The girl said before pulling the tanned girl's hair and everyone follows her as they hit her.

 

"Sana! Are you not doing anything about it? Are playing hero again in your mask?" Momo scolded her as she Sana taking down notes with her phone camera, filming the chaos.

 

"This is gonna be helpful for her, Momo. Those girls will not get near at her after I send this to the guidance counselor." Sana reasurred.

 

She always doing this kind of stuff whenever the tanned girl get bullied. She record everything and sent it to either principal or school counselor. After she send it, sometimes Sana will approach those people because she knows those people who bully the tanned girl was same grade with her or younger. Sana knows that no one can disrespect her because she is well known sunbaenim and one of closest friends of their Mina sunbaenim who they idolize a lot so being Mina's friends has it perks.

 

 

After some minutes, the group finish their beating to the tanned girl as they left her alone. Sana and Momo watched how the tanned girl weakly got up behind the bushes.

 

 

"I want to help her, Momo. I want to comfort her like she did 6 years ago. I want to introduce myself as the crying unnie who you gave your precious Totoro. I want to.... protect her, Momo but why I can't? Everytime I attempt to approach her, my whole system get malfunction and I can't walk towards her. I'm really coward.." Sana smiled sadly at Momo.

 

 

"Oh my gosh, Sana. Quit your being dramatic, lets get going and show this footage. One day, she will caught you doing this. One day, you two will meet coincidentally. Come on, I feel Mina is sulking right now waiting for us."

 

 

Sana nodded then she turn her sight to the tanned girl who is still crying, sitting at the bench with bruises. Sana clenched her fist and gritted her teeth as she said to herself "Those girls were dead to me. They will pay the bruises they made in Tzuyu's healthy skin. Wait for it, girls!"

 

 

In that same day, Sana went to the group and threatened the girls as Momo and Mina trying to stop her.

 

 

"If you hurt anyone in this school and especially that girl, I won't hesitate to tell sbout it to our main principal. You girls were lucky enough to do only community service as your punishment when you almost took a life from your beatings! As your sunbaenim, I'm really disappointed! Get lost from her sight from now and if ever this incident occur again, I'm the one who will suddenly smack you down until you all can't walk like her! I'm keeping promise, girls.. please don't do it again."Sana said before she walk away angrily.

 

 

"This is your fault! You said that no one is around. To the worst, it must be Sana sunbaenim, that saviour!"

 

 

"?" Mina asked them in calm tone but they know that their Mina sunbaenim is mocking them.

 

"Mina, what are we doing here? We should follow Sana at this moment." Momo tried to distract Mina to keep her away to the fight.

 

 

"No, Momo! They didn't learn their own lesson! They didn't listen to Sana. Well girls, if you keep calling that you should prepare yourself because anytime Sana will hurt you all if she saw and hear something wrong. Your Sana sunbaenim was like that" Mina said before she let out her nice smile. Momo just tagged her friend along because she doesn't know what this is in for Mina because she rarely show concern towards the tanned girl at the moment Sana pointed out her for the first time for them.

 

 

Years later on, she knew why because Mina is jealous but still why Mina is affected whenever she hears someone badmouthing the tanned girl. Like Sana, she also snapped but she calm down immediately then it will turn as a scold.

 

Because of them, the number of bullies and haters of almighty Chou Tzuyu decreased. Sana was glad that finally her little angel found peace.

 

 

Until 2 years later, they were at their last year in their middle school, Sana was deep in thoughts as her mind was flashing back on the day when her parents died because they have debate in their class about parents and as always, she is sensitive when it comes to 'parents' as she didn't take it anymore to listen at them. She decided to leave because her tears were flowing again and she doesn't want everyone got worry about her. With her heavy thoughts and heart, suddenly there is a car coming beside her as she didn't notice the stoplight.

 

 

She hears a loud honk indicating that there's a car coming, Sana's eyes widened and halted her steps because of panic. Then someone pushes her from behind as the person get hit instead.

 

 

 

 

 

"WATCHH OUTTT!!!"

 

 

Sana fell down from the ground and she turn around to see who's the person who save her.

 

 

To her shock, it was her little angel, Chou Tzuyu. She hurriedly came to her side and check if she was hurt. To her relief, only few scratches were visible on her legs.

 

 

"Are you okay? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?" Sana panicly asked but Tzuyu remained silent while rubbing the bruises on her leg.

 

"Are you trying to kill yourself, Miss?! You almost die there, did you know that?! I'm not hurt, okay? No need to worry. I used to this kind of treatment. I don't need pity! You should check yourself first before going to others. I hate myself when someone was pitying and helping me because I felt like I am worthless person because I can't defend myself!"

 

 

Sana's eyes widened, maybe Tzuyu caught her having a fight with those bullies or maybe she heard that the name Sana was always defending her.

 

"That was not true----"

 

"Just leave me alone.. That will be the best between both of us. I don't like when the others saw us here, they will start questioning again." Tzuyu said sadly and Sana don't have other choice to leave her little angel because she understand her and it breaks her heart that Tzuyu felt that way whenever she defended or saved her from the bullies.She felt terrible that tears are falling down from her eyes, Sana felt like Tzuyu rejected her, her little angel who gave her the significant meaning of life when she thought that she can't live anymore if her parents were gone, her little angel who gave something precious that until now was always doing his job being by her side whenever she was sad or she remembers the painful memories of her parents, her little angel who gave her hope that someday.. someday she can finally thank her about everything that because of her, she was still here in this world, breathing and living happily with her friends, Momo and Mina and especially her grandma who showered her with same love that her parents were supposedly do and mostly she want to thank her for saving her not once but twice.

 

 

Now that Tzuyu is in danger, it is her time to show her gratitude by curing her and she doesn't allow Tzuyu refuse the help but instead she want Tzuyu to understand that sometimes you can't live by only for yourself, sometimes you need help from the others.

 

Sana hugged the Totoro stuffed toy tightly as she said to herself "This time, I won't hide anymore. I will do my best to save you, Chou Tzuyu. You're not gonna die, I promise you."

 

 

___________________________________________________

"Are you feeling better now, Ms. Chou?" The nurse asked her. It's been two days when she sent to the hospital. She just nod while reading a book. She already heard about her condition from her manager and the management of JYP Entertainment already decided her to pull out from the line up for the upcoming girl group as they restricted artist who has health problems. Tzuyu knows that everyone is rejoicing now from her loss because they all insulted her for being untalented.

 

 

She has no other choice to accept the fate that she will die soon because there's no purpose for her to live when her parents don't have any plans to visit her here in Korea, her oh so called friends from high school who always telling her that they were busy in college, her auntie who is mad at her when she choose the path of being an idol instead of taking the company, only her sadness unnie who is the manager for the upcoming JYP girl group is the only one who has kind heart to visit her time by time when she was on breaks.

 

 

"Ms. Chou, Dr. Minatozaki wanted you talk with her later in regards about your condition. She wants to talk with you in her office because it was confidential. Are you fine walking by yourself later or you need assistance?" The nurse asked her.

 

"I'm fine, thanks." Tzuyu replied. The nurse smiled at her and said "Okay, if you need keep something, don't hesitate to press the button on your bracelet, we will come immediately."

 

Tzuyu just nodded before the nurse left her room.

 

The door opened suddenly, revealing her a female doctor in a white uniform clutching a clipboard came into the room.

 

 

"Dr. Minatozaki! I thought you wanted her to come at your office?" The nurse asked.

 

 

"No need for that, I want to make my patient comfortable while talking with her. Thanks for telling her." The female doctor smile and closes the door as she face her patient with a smile.

 

She can see her..

 

Her little angel was looking on her..

 

“Good morning Miss Chou, my name is Doctor Minatozaki Sana .” the doctor said, bowing.

 

“D-Doctor Minatozaki?”

 

 

“Yes, Tzuyu. You’re in TWICE Hospital right now.” Sana told her, “I’ve been monitoring your recovery since you first entered the hospital. It’s good that you’ve finally woken up, I trust you had a good rest?”

 

 

“Yeah...” Tzuyu said slowly, furrowing her eyebrows, “Excuse me, but how long do I need to live?"

 

"Sorry?"

 

"I mean.. how many months do I need to suffer in this world? I don't want to take heart surgery.. I just want to prepare for my funeral."

 

 

Sana frowned, she quite expected it. From the all stalking she did during her middle school and chit chats from the nurse ward that only one person visited her and that person is not the parent even friend, she knows that Tzuyu want to end her life because she thought nobody care about her.

 

 

"Why? Because you think that nobody cares about you? Oh come on, why would you say that? My bestfriend saved you that night you sent here. She cares about you. Now, as your personal doctor.. I care about you now."

 

 

"You only saying that because it is your job to save people, not because you care about them."

 

"Yes, I do agree with you. It's our job to save lives but take me differently, Ms. Chou. Saving is my passion. I don't treat patients like patients. I treat them like my family, sometimes I forget my own. Seeing them recovered and cured and having a normal life makes me feel like a mom who is watching her daughter marrying someone." Sana smiled and decided to sit on Tzuyu's bed.

 

 

"I think I need you to save you from your thoughts first before your heart, Tzuyu. If I didn't succeed, let's prepare your funeral for around 4 months. Want to take my challenge?"

 

 

"Deal." Tzuyu offered her hand and Sana gladly take it.

 

 

"Woah.. It feels like I am bad doctor, betting on your life but I do my best to prove that I am not usual doctor you always assume, I am doctor that is not only going to cure illnesses but also the whole identity. Just call me, Sana.. I won't mind since I take this is as like a friendly challenge, how does it sound?" Sana asked.

 

Tzuyu looked at her intently and asked "Why do I feel like you know me and I know you?"

 

Sana just smiled and answered "I forgot to tell you that I usually get that question a lot. See? I'm different. So what is your first challenge you wanted me to do?"

 

"So what's in for you if you win except the heart surgery?" Tzuyu asked in very serious tone.

 

"I finally save and see the person I care a lot living in a normal life." Sana smiled sincerely.

 

 

Tzuyu shook her head and chuckled "Well, I don't know if you can do that. My life is a big mess, you'll not like to come in. So... if you really want, c-could you take my p-parents here to see my condition at least once?" Tzuyu shakily asked and the tears were already visible from her eyes.

 

"Of course, I'm planning to do that. In fact, we cannot take the heart surgery without their consent." Sana just simply answer. Honestly, she wants to wipe Tzuyu's tears now but the girl is bowing down as she hide her face.

 

"O-Okay, good luck then. I took almost 4 years to make that happen, I hope you can do it at least 2 months." Tzuyu chuckled sadly, following with a sniff.

 

"Just let it out, Ms. Chou." Sana softly said. Her gaze softened at the sight of crying Tzuyu.

 

 

"What are you talking ab---" Tzuyu's sentence stopped when the moment Sana put her hand on Tzuyu's head and pull it down on her shoulder.

 

 

"Do you know Totoro?" Sana asked.

 

 

"......."

 

 

"If you knew, let me be your Totoro from now on." Sana said before she pat Tzuyu's head lightly then she can feel her shoulder was getting wet.

 

 

 

"Just cry it out, I'm always here."

 

Author's note:
Hi! It's been a while since update. I think I might add some chapters because the back story was quite long, right? I mentioned Totoro a lot here, kekeke. Anyway, in the next chapters, expect more angst and twist. Votes, subscribers, views and comments were highly appreciated :) Thank you so much for reading and hope to see you all again in the next chapters. Author, out :)