Sana unlocked her phone to see if Dahyun was joking about texting Chicken.

Chicken: Be quiet.

Me Seasoned? Fried?

“Oh my god… Dahyun really sent that to Chicken!! Is she out of her mind? What? Seasoned? Fried?? You have got to be kidding me.” Sana lied down on the couch. “She’s going to think that I’m crazy! This is so embarrassing, especially after what happened today…”

Sana was going to murder Dahyun the next time they’d see each other. How was she supposed to fix this?

“What should I tell her? It’s too late to send a text explaining everything, and she’s probably sleeping by now… Urgh, just great, one mess after another…” Sana groaned. “Well, what’s the point of explaining it now? Things can’t get any worse than they already are…”

OOOOO

“Ahh Kookeu!! Don’t pee over there!” Nayeon rushed over to the wet spot where Kookeu had marked his territory. “Jeongyeon do something!!” Nayeon turned to yell at her girlfriend who was pointing and laughing at Nayeon’s misery.

Jeongyeon wiped the tears that came from laughing too hard. A glare from her angry girlfriend instantly sobered her up. She immediately straightened her back and gave Nayeon a stiff salute.

“Aye-aye captain.”

Jeongyeon chased after Kookeu who showed no intent of being caught by the tall woman as he dodged her every attempt of capturing him. Jeongyeon broke out into a sweat after chasing the puppy for 15 minutes. Eventually she managed to corner him. Jeongyeon scooped him up and brought him to Nayeon who was throwing away the disinfectant tissues used to wipe up the mess.

“Who’s a bad boy?” Jeongyeon cooed before putting on her best serious face. “Kookeu you can’t just pee anywhere in the practice room! If one of the staffs catches you, they’ll…” Jeongyeon made a slicing motion on her neck.

Nayeon grabbed Kookeu from Jeongyeon’s embrace and covered his eyes.

“Hey! Don’t threaten my son, you’re going to traumatize him!”

“What? It’s true… I mean you know how strict they are with hygiene and sanitation in the building…”

“Jeongyeon!!”

“Fine, fine! Sorry.” Jeongyeon pouted, feeling wronged by her exasperated girlfriend.

“Anyways, Kookeu needs to get a dog trainer. He never listens to me when I tell him to stop. Just yesterday he nearly scared the hell out of a stranger who was just innocently sitting alone on a bench by running up to her and barking! He gets too excited around people…” Nayeon sighed. “The poor girl looked terrified.”

“Why don’t you go to the obedience school Jisoo had Dalgom go to?” Jeongyeon yawned, it was way too early for her to be at the practice room.

“I was thinking of texting her for their address, since Dalgom’s really well trained, it’s worth a shot.”

Nayeon clipped Kookeu’s leash and tied it securely on the leg of the desk. “By the way, where’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung? They’re late.”

“Don’t frown my love, you’ll only get more wrinkles. I’m sure they’re on there way here, they’re just probably stuck in traffic.” Jeongyeon relaxed as she sat on the couch, “We did leave the dorm earlier than usual, because you wanted to walk Kookeu before coming to practice. Also, they looked pretty exhausted last night when they came in.”

“Well, let’s hope they get here before our dance teacher comes. I really don’t want to face her wrath this early in the morning.”

“You and me both.” Jeongyeon yawned.

Kookeu barked in agreement. Woof woof!

“Okay, that’ll be all for today! Keep practicing the moves, you only have a few more days before you guys fly to Japan. I know you guys are working on practicing your instruments but don’t neglect your dancing either! You guys were a girl group first, before becoming a band for your new unit promotions.” Lia Kim ordered.

“Yes, thank you for today.” All four of them bowed in appreciation.

“Take care of yourselves while you’re promoting in Japan and I’ll see you soon.” Lia Kim gave the group a smile before leaving the practice room.

Nayeon and Jeongyeon piled onto the couch to rest while chugging their own respective water bottles.

Chaeyoung handed them two towels before proceeding to give Dahyun’s.

“Dahyun, what are you doing?” Chaeyoung peered behind her older friend.

“I’m checking something out. I’m close with the director who did Sana’s shoot and I asked him to send me Sana’s new photos. They haven’t been edited of course, this only the raw version.” Dahyun started typing on her laptop. “Come take a look. She said that the theme was y.”

Chaeyoung frowned, unimpressed.

“You’re such a stalker. What’s it to you? The shoot doesn’t even have anything to do with you, why do you care so much?” Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, clearly tired of her friend’s antics.

“But it’s because I’ve been collecting Squirrel’s photos since kindergarten. I even saved and made a backup file of the picture of us taking a bath together when we were young.”

Chaeyoung’s face contorted into a look of disgust.

“Thank god Sana doesn’t know you’re doing this. This is really creepy.”

“New photos are about to be added to the file. Hehe my beloved Squirrel.”

“You’re kind of a ert, Dahyun.” Chaeyoung crossed her arms, totally judging her friend.

“Now, let’s see who she took the photos with, instead of me.”

“Huh? Isn’t she…?” Chaeyoung pointed at the screen, “the woman who bumped into you last night?”

“What are you two doing?” Nayeon appeared behind the two with her arms on her hips. She peeked over Dahyun’s shoulder. “Oh, isn’t that from Sana’s new photoshoot?”

Chaeyoung turned to look at Nayeon.

“How did you know about that?”

“Oh, I’m friends with some of the staff who were there for the shoot. They said that the pictures turned out really nice. It seemed that Sana was in pretty good condition that day.”

Dahyun grunted in acknowledgement.

“I also heard that she turned you down for another model that she brought.” Nayeon giggled, teasing Dahyun.

“What! She d—did not!” Dahyun stammered in response.

“Haha, oh yes she did. I heard it from the director himself. I heard she was really beautiful too, like a goddess or something.” Nayeon took a closer look at the photo on Dahyun’s screen.

“Hm… they’re not wrong. That’s definitely a face that’s been gifted by the gods. If I didn’t know better, I might’ve mistaken her for a model or an actress. She has the look.” Nayeon nodded in acknowledgement.

Jeongyeon rested her chin on Nayeon’s shoulder, curious about what the three were talking about without her. She took a moment to inspect the picture.

“She is quite pretty, she could probably start modelling right away if we signed her. Maybe we should send someone to scout her?” Jeongyeon had to agree with Nayeon regarding the woman’s looks. The mysterious woman next to Sana had a beautiful face and her proportions were perfect. It would be great if they could sign her to their company. It would be a win-win.

“Well too bad her manners don’t match her face.” Dahyun huffed silently.

“She kind of looks familiar though… I think I’ve seen her before…” Nayeon muttered to herself, thinking hard about where she might’ve seen Sana’s mystery model.

OOOOO

“Good… Good morning.” Sana greeted Tzuyu with a sheepish expression.

Tzuyu stared at her silently. Sana couldn’t make out what kind of expression Tzuyu had on her face, since she was wearing a surgical mask that covered the lower half of her face.

Sana shook the bag she was carrying that was full of cans as she began sorting the recycling.

“Did you drink a lot?”

“Yeah… my friends came over for a housewarming party last night… And I had a bad day, so I drank too.” Sana deposited a can into the box. “Anyways, I’m sorry. I thought the apartments would be more soundproof. It must have been really noisy…”

“You must have been drunk, texting nonsense like seasoned or fried or whatever it was. I’ll accept your apology because I couldn’t work at all last night.”

Sana suddenly felt regretful for disturbing Tzuyu’s work.

“About the text last night. It wasn’t supposed to be for you…” Sana disposed of another aluminum can.

“Drinking ‘till late at night is… I mean, for a woman living by herself… even with friends is kind of…” Tzuyu trailed off, with an uncomfortable look in her eyes.

“W—well, just like you said… I am ‘that’ type of girl after all,” Sana looked away, “so it’s to be expected after all…” she muttered under her breath.

Tzuyu glanced at Sana in silence for a few seconds, before reaching out.

“No, you’re wrong,” Tzuyu grabbed the piece of plastic from Sana’s hands, “plastics go in the other bin.”

Sana was caught offguard by Tzuyu’s actions and gawked at her helplessly.

“And don’t shout it out loud, it’s not something to be proud of,” Tzuyu huffed impatiently, “forget it, when is our next arrangement?”

“What?”

“My book. I want it back soon.” Tzuyu turned around and left Sana in a daze at the sudden harshness in her tone.

“What the… what just happened?”

OOOOO

“What do you think? The pictures came out quite well.” Mr. Park smiled. “Your solo photoshoot was good, but everything thinks that this is the best one,” he pointed at the picture where Sana was hovering over Tzuyu, “your model seems to have an ascetic look, which makes the photo look ier, even if it wasn’t intended. I don’t know who she is, but she was a good choice.”

Sana sighed in relief. She was glad that the pictures came out really well, she might actually have a shot at the COEX ad.

“Let’s choose some pictures for your portfolio. I think this will work out well, and to your advantage, Sana. I have a really good feeling for this audition.”

“Mr. Park, would it be possible to print out the pictures?”

“Of course, I’ll have someone print them out for you immediately.”

“Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it.” Sana smiled to herself.

“Also, about the upcoming photoshoots, Ms. Seo has begun preparations for it, she will present you with the schedule once it’s been finalized…”

OOOOO

“Dahyun, what are you doing? We need to leave soon.” Chaeyoung leaned against the doorframe. “Did you pack everything? We have an interview before the flight. The manager asked us to arrive earlier…” Chaeyoung noticed that Dahyun was hunched over her laptop, typing frantically. “What are you doing?”

“Wait a second. I need to check this out for myself. I asked Ms. Seo to send me Squirrel’s unreleased photos,” Dahyun turned to Chaeyoung with a mischevious grin, “she said that the theme was ‘girl-crush,’ but sadly it didn’t make the cut, so they went with the pictures that they took with Sana’s neighbour.” Dahyun pouted.

Chaeyoung deadpanned. She again, unimpressed with Dahyun’s obsession towards Sana.

“You’re such a stalker,” Chaeyoung sighed, shaking her head in disapproval.

“But at least I have new photos to add to my collection. And to look at while we’re flying to Japan.” Dahyun grinned.

OOOOO

Sana worked up the courage to go to Tzuyu’s apartment after deliberating for a few days whether to go or not. In the end she found herself standing in front of her neighbor’s door. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, before she heard the door unlock.

“I brought our picture!” Sana held up a large yellow envelope.

Tzuyu wordlessly stepped out and began spraying the doorbell with disinfectant and wiping it clean with a cloth.

“I visited my agency and printed out a copy for you too. We look great in the pictures, and I’m pretty sure I’ll pass the audition with it.”

Tzuyu glared at her. “I told you I’m not…”

“Thank you.”

Tzuyu’s eyes widened in surprise at Sana’s sudden confession.

“I think it was a good idea to choose you. It must have been hard for you.” Sana looked down. “Thanks for helping me out… and here, take this. You can hang it on the wall if you’d like.” Sana handed Tzuyu the envelope and began walking away, before turning back. “Oh, and about our arrangement, let’s see next Monday.” She turned to wave. “See you then.”

Tzuyu stared at the envelope in her hands wordlessly. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what was inside.

“How can she be so shameless? I said those things harshly to her because of this. But she said: ‘thank you?’ I can never tell what she’s thinking…” Tzuyu looked at the envelope in her hand. Should she open it? What was the point… She sighed and opened the envelope, after fighting with her curiosity for a bit.

She took out one of the photos gently and stared at it. Heat began flooding her cheeks as a deep red colored her face. She covered her face with her hand and looked away from the photo.

“This is… this is too y…”

OOOOO

“All passengers for flight number 1670, from Incheon to Narita at 7:10 pm, please board at gate 2 now. Thank you.”

“Looks like that’s us, let’s go.” Nayeon got up and motioned the members to follow the manager.

The other three followed her groggily, with Jeongyeon accidentally tripping over her own feet, causing Nayeon to burst out into laughter.

“Good even ladies and gentlemen. This flight is number 1670 flying from Incheon to Narita, Japan. The estimated flight time to Narita, is approximately two and a half hours. Please make sure your seatbelt is fastened. As we will begin our depart shortly.”

Dahyun sat at the window seat soundlessly, with a thoughtful but distant expression on her face. She had her hand on her cheek as she stared intensely at the seat in front of her.

“What do you mean? Something keeps coming to your mind?”

“Well… I mean it’s a kind of food! Yes, food! Like odeng or tteokbokki!”

“Huh? Odeng and tteokbokki?”

“Listen to me first, Dahyun. Everything was delicious to me. Then, they’re not delicious anymore after I had chicken! I keep thinking about chicken and even dream about it!”

“Once I had chicken, nothing felt delicious anymore… It feels like all I need and want is chicken…”

Chicken? Dahyun thought to herself.

“Are you okay?” Chaeyoung asked, snapping Dahyun out of her thoughts. “You don’t look well… Is there something bothering you?”

“I’m fine… just exhausted. For a few days, I couldn’t meet or see my fans, and I also drank a lot last night. Not to mention that practice these past few days have been pretty intense.”

Chaeyoung had a worried expression on her face, but she masked it instantly with a neutral poker face after catching herself.

“Our flight is about to take off. Please check and make sure that your seatbelt is fastened.”

“Do you want me to hold your hand, Dahyun?”

OOOOO

Me: Monday, 1 pm. Is that okay?

Chicken: Okay.

Me: Great, I’ll see you then :D

Chicken: This time, let’s go somewhere that isn’t so crowded.

“Hm… somewhere not crowded?” Sana pondered. She was lying face on top of her pillow in her bed, she shifted her position to a more comfortable one, choosing to lie on her side. “That’s going to be kind of hard…”

Sana’s concentration was shattered temporarily by the sound of a new notification.

“Huh? Sis…?”

Momo: Come by my office if you’re not busy.

OOOOO

“What?! Attend a worship service? Why all of a sudden?” Sana whined, trying her best not to spill the hot chocolate in her mug. She started to pout.

“Well… since you moved out, you’ve never come to church. Dad is worried about you. I don’t know, go and purify your soul or something.”

“I don’t need to go to prayer service to hunt!” Sana protested. “If I go to church, then I’ll have to hold old ladies’ hands. What for? For me, nothing is delicious but…”

Momo’s ears perked up. “Nothing is delicious but…? But what?”

“What? Oh, no, nothing! I mean… recently, I lost my appetite haha…” Sana quickly tried to cover her accidental tongue slip.

Momo’s eyes narrowed. “Hm… right now, about 75% of your smile contains awkwardness, Minatozaki Sana.” Momo leaned in and lifted Sana’s chin upwards. She had a menacing look on her face, like how a predator looks at its prey. Sana knew that Momo had sniffed something out. “Did you forget what my nickname was?”

Sana started panicking. Shoot! I almost forgot… her nickname is “Momo the Mind Reader!” She can read people’s minds just by looking into their eyes! Sana closed her eyes. Oh no, I’m doomed! She’s absorbed lots of people’s energy by holding their hands and saying, “it must have been hard for you,” and she ended up becoming a psychiatrist!

“You used to always say ‘hunt or death!’ And now what? You lost your appetite all of a sudden huh? What happened to you? Explain what that means.” Momo pushed up her glasses. “Or should I make you confess everything by force?” There was a threatening gleam in her eyes.

“I’ll… I’ll explain sis…” Sana was struck by fear and gave up.

“WHAT?!!” Momo slammed her hand on her desk. “Are you crazy?! So, you’re trying to cure that neat freak who lives next door?!”

“Um… yeah… it ended up like that…” Sana felt herself getting smaller and smaller in front of her older sister.

“I’m calling dad right now.” Momo whipped out her phone and speed-dialed their father’s number.

“Wait!! No, Momo, please!! If he finds out about this, he’ll literally break my legs and nail me to the cross!!” Sana got up immediately to stop her sister from calling their father.

Momo looked at her with a sad expression and cancelled the call. She sat down on the couch and sighed.

“Somehow, I had the feeling that you were up to something when you asked me about mysophobia…”

“Momo, please help me. I’m desperate. There must be something else that can cure mysophobia except for the patient’s will... I’ve read some books on it, but I don’t know how to do it. And I’m seeing her on Monday…”

“Tsk, cut it out Sana. It’s not something that you can fix in a day! It’s a condition that should be taken seriously and it takes time and a lot of will to overcome. No one knows how long it will take for her to overcome it.” Momo crossed her arms. “And how can you cure it?”

Sana was taken aback. “Um… well…”

Momo let out another deep sigh. “Sana, listen. You should think about this. It’s perfectly normal that you want something delicious. But it’s silly to hunt someone who’s not like others, who can stand to be touched. If you keep doing that, chasing after her, you might face danger again…”

“B—but… I feel nothing towards others. It must be her. Even I don’t know why… but it has to be her.” Sana sighed. “She keeps attracting me. There’s something about her. Like… If I could describe it, it’s like my body just reacts instinctively to her. I can’t help it. It drives me crazy…” Sana trailed off.

Momo scanned Sana from top to bottom. She could see that the situation was serious, and that Sana wasn’t messing around this time. 

“Okay, alright, alright. I’ll help you. That chicken next door or something…” Momo rubbed her head in frustration.

Sana leaned forward. “What?! Really? You’ll help me?”

Momo stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I have no choice. Otherwise, my little sister will starve to death.” She rubbed her temples. “But promise me this. You may think she’s the most delicious one right now, but there might be someone more delicious than her. So, don’t be so obsessed over one person. Try to hunt others as well, got it?”

“Yeah, sure. Okay, I will! Thank you, you’re the best!” Sana gave Momo a huge bear hug.

“Pft, you’re a huge pain in the neck. Get off of me right now!”

Sana glanced down. “Ah… Momo. What food is good for to help s grow?” Sana asked innocently with her arms around her sister.

Momo paused for a second and racked her brain for an answer.

“Well… papaya?”

OOOOO

Sana slipped her papaya smoothie while standing outside of Tzuyu’s apartment.

“Yikes, it’s not that sweet? Is it not papaya season? Hm… will this really work or is Momo just messing with me and just chose anything off the top of her head?” Sana inspected her smoothie. “It’s okay that my s don’t grow, but the thing about her mysophobia has to…” Sana was interrupted by Tzuyu’s sudden appearance.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you. I’m free today. So, let’s hang out.” Sana smiled. “Come on, just like you wanted, we’ll go somewhere that’s not crowded. I promise.”

“Since it’s a weekday. It’ll be quiet. Not a bad idea, right?”

Tzuyu paled at the sight of the sign that said “Zoo” in big bold letters.

“This place is worse than a crowded place. No way, I’m leaving.” Tzuyu turned around and tried to make a speedy exit.

“Oh no you’re not!” Sana held on to Tzuyu’s shirt before she could get away. She offered an ultimatum. “You don’t want the rest of the book?”

Tzuyu froze in her tracks.

“Come with me, it’ll be okay. I promise.” Sana looked at her earnestly.

Tzuyu’s soul evaporated from her body.

“Why did you bring me here?” Tzuyu quickly armed herself with a surgical mask.

“Hey, stop frowning! Don’t you like animals?” Sana giggled.

“I like them in paintings, not real ones. Their furs can cause allergic reactions, and there are a lot of germs in their saliva. Not to mention that they’re spending all day sitting and walking around with all that dust on their fur! Animals aren’t hygienic!” Tzuyu protested.

“That’s why we’re here.”

“What?”

Sana turned around and stood in front of Tzuyu.

“I told you, I’ll help you cure your mysophobia.”

“There’s something called ‘cognitive behavioral therapy,’ CBT for short. It’s a psychotherapeutic approach that tries to get patients to identify maladaptive thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and attempts to correct those problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviors.” Momo crossed her arms and leaned against her desk. “As I said, her compulsion to clean and her fear of germs is derived from anxiety. So, we try to expose the patient to an uneasy environment on purpose.”

“Make her anxious on purpose?”

“That’s right. Usually, we’ll have the patient create a fear hierarchy. Developing something like a ladder, from somewhat feared to most feared. The goal is to have the patient undergo, systematic desensitization through exposure to feared situations or locations, in order to produce the extinction of the fear response. Naturally, at first, she’ll get very anxious, but as time goes by, she’ll get accustomed to it. It’s an approach that the patient can cope with and overcome the fear step by step.”

“I see…”

“But with her cleaning compulsion in response to what she interprets as contamination, for example, the focus will be on exposure to the feared stimuli without her engaging in safety behaviors like cleaning.” Momo sat down. “But for now, try systematic desensitization. Perhaps, make her watch something related to her fear stimuli from a distance, and make her touch it. But don’t forget, you have to go slowly.”

Okay! First, let her watch. Sana thought to herself. “Come on, have a look at them!” Sana pointed at the cute penguins waddling along.

“No thanks, I’ll just enjoy watching them in books.”

“This isn’t that different from looking at them in books! Don’t worry. They’re enclosed! We’re far from them. Come on, let’s take a look. It’s okay.” Sana motioned for Tzuyu to stand next to her. “Seeing them won’t hurt you.”

Tzuyu obliged and stood next to her. “Don’t touch the guard rail. It’s full of germs.”

“Oh look, it’s a seal!”

“So? How was it? Just looking at them is okay, right?”

“Well… it’s not bad. Not as bad as I thought it’d be.”

Feed deer. Weekdays from 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm.

“Since we’re here, we should try something fun. I prepared some gloves for you.”

“You said only looking. Why should I do this?” Tzuyu grumbled. She still put on the gloves and held the grass in her hand.

“It’ll be okay. Just reach out your hand from a distance. Like this!” Sana stretched her arm out and fed the deer.

Tzuyu looked skeptical and faced the deer. The only thing on her mind was the drool that was leaking from the deer’s mouth.

“It’s… it’s drooling!! I’m not… I’m not doing it!!” Tzuyu backed away. “Its mouth is full of germs, and especially in its saliva!”

“It won’t touch your hand. Just put the grass through the fence, you can do it!”

“Just so you know, people with OCD tend to focus on details, rather than the big picture. So, help her see the forest, not the trees. Try to take her attention away from the fear.”

“Tzuyu, do you know who Bambi is? The little baby deer in that Disney film. It’s so cute right? They’re just the same,” Sana pointed at the deer, “a cute baby deer!”

“Bambi…” Tzuyu focused on the baby deer hiding behind its mother.

Tzuyu reached out and fed the baby deer who took a bite out of the grass in Tzuyu’s hand.

“Bambi…” She muttered under her breath.

“Good job, it was easier than you thought right?” Tzuyu disposed of the damp gloves that were full of the deer’s saliva.

“Ugh, what are we doing here? We’re done right? Let’s go back.”

“Wait! I’ve got a plan. Let’s drop by there before we leave. Today’s date will finish then.”

“W—why are you doing this?”

“Try it, you never know, you might end up liking it once you try it.”

Tzuyu backed away. “I said, I don’t want to do it.”

“These rabbits are much smaller and cuter than the deer from before.” Sana bent down and fed the rabbits. She turned back to look at Tzuyu. “It’s okay to touch them, they won’t bite. And they’re not drooling either.” Sana giggled.

“Ergh…”

“Once you touch them, we’ll go back. Then, you can go back home and take a shower.”

“I… I won’t!”

“But there are some patients who can’t bear to even take a step forward. Then in those cases, we might push them to the extreme by forcing them to face the highest level of intensity in their fear hierarchy instead of gradually working through it. This is called flooding.”

Sana stealthily closed the gate to prevent Tzuyu from running away.

“What are you doing? Why did you close… W—wait!”

Sana dumped the entire bag of rabbit feed on the ground.

“No! Don’t scatter it!”

The rabbits began swarming around her, trying to get to the rabbit food.

Tzuyu started backing up and her chest started feeling tight, it was getting harder to breathe and she was breaking out in a sweat. She pulled down her mask and started breathing heavily, the world started to spin as her heart started racing.

“O—open it! I want to get out! I need to leave, move aside!!” Tzuyu rushed towards the gate.

“Tzuyu, wait! If you keep avoiding it, you can’t cure yourself! It’ll get better! So just try to hang on for a few more seconds!”

Tzuyu grabbed her hand tightly, which shocked Sana completely.

What? She’s holding my hand… Tzuyu’s face got closer and closer. Is she… going to…

“Get out of my way!!” Tzuyu flung her away from the gate.

“What the hell were you thinking? Do you want me to die?” Tzuyu’s face was pale and her hands were shaking from what had just happened.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t think you’d be that scared…” Sana apologized profusely. She didn’t know it would have such an adverse affect on Tzuyu.

“Manslaughter, an unintentional killing is also homicide.” Tzuyu glared. “Also, why are you so happy? You do know you’re smiling right?”

Sana was in a happy daze, because she was able to finally get a taste of the long-awaited taste of chicken. She was giddy from finally getting a taste after being deprived for so long.

“Ah… um… that’s because you held my hand.” Sana blushed. “It was the first time that you came to me first.”

Tzuyu’s eyes widened in shock. She was flustered by Sana’s sudden statement, she brushed her hair back to appear unaffected.

“Well, that was because you were blocking my way… it’s not that I wanted to!”

“Even so, you’ve never touched someone first before, right?”

Tzuyu sighed.

“Anyways, is it that important to you? That book… I was surprised that you’d gone on a date with me, just because of a children’s storybook.”

“Someone else’s trash can somebody else’s treasure. For me that book is very special.” Tzuyu looked at her watch. “We’re done here, right? Let’s go back home. I need to take a shower.”

“But why don’t you touch a rabbit before we leave?”

“Shut up. I’m not doing anything here anymore.” Tzuyu turned away in embarrassment.

“I was just joking.” Sana giggled.

“If anything touches me again today, I might…” Tzuyu was interrupted by a young child who was crying in front of her. The child latched onto her leg and looked up at her. The child’s face was covered in snot and tears. Tzuyu’s face instantly was drained of blood.

“Ahhhhh!” Tzuyu screamed in shock, then she whipped her head back. “What the heck?! Now you’re even using a kid?!”

The child grabbed onto Tzuyu’s leg tighter and began crying harder.

“No, no!! You’ve got it all wrong! I don’t even know that kid!”

Tzuyu pointed at the child. “Get him off… me!! My pants… he has… a runny nose!!”

Sana scratched the back of her head.

“Um… I don’t touch the old, the ill, the children and animals… because I feel guilty…”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Tzuyu screamed at the top of her lungs. “PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!”

“Why don’t you take care of him for a bit? I’ll go tell customer service that there’s a lost child!”

“W—wait! You can’t leave me here alone with him!” Tzuyu started panicking.

The child started sniffling. “Wahh… mom… hrgh… mom… mom…”

Mom… mom.. hrgh… where are you?

A younger Tzuyu was crying over a pile of books. Her tears were falling openly, staining the books that were under her. She kept crying for her mother that showed no sign of appearing.

“Mom… sniff…”

Tzuyu felt her heart throbbing in pain at the sudden flashback. She could see her younger self in her mind’s eye and something shifted inside. Tzuyu slowly reached out to pat the child’s head, but she stopped herself at the last second. She flinched from the almost close contact. After a second, she clenched her fist, she was angry at herself, and most of all, regretful that she couldn’t console this young child who was crying. Tzuyu felt disappointment and sadness at her inability to do something.

“Thank you, thank you so so much for finding him! I’m so sorry for troubling you both.” The mother hugged her child and apologized profusely.

“I’m sorry that I had to leave you alone with him. It must’ve been hard to soothe him, huh? But you did a great job, Tzuyu.” Sana beamed.

Tzuyu looked at her hand, with her mind swirling full of thoughts.

“No, I couldn’t do anything for him…”

OOOOO

“Thank you for today, I’ll send you another page right away.” Sana opened the door to her apartment.

“Why are you doing this to me? You’re beautiful, surely you can find another person who’s way better than me.” Tzuyu sighed. “Why are you doing this much just to go and have a date with me? I’m… I’m nothing.”

Sana paused before answering.

“Because you’re special. You’re special.” Sana smiled wistfully. “Do you remember what you said? One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.” She looked up at Tzuyu. “To me, you’re my treasure.”

Tzuyu’s mouth opened in surprise.

“So, stop asking me for the whole book, and I’ll see you next week, Tzuyu.”

“Wait… I didn’t…”

The door closed with an audible bang, and Tzuyu was left to mull over today’s events.

OOOOO

“Attention, a reminder for all passengers disembarking from flight number 2879 that baggage claim will be at area C10.”

“Phew, it’s been a while since I’ve been back.” A woman with medium length brown hair exited the departures area with her manager in tow. She took off her sunglasses and smiled. “It feels good to be home.”

The moment she took off her sunglasses, she was mobbed by a bunch of fans screaming her name and taking her photos. Fansites were eager to push ahead in order to snap a shot. Security guards immediately formed a barrier around her and pushed the crowd back.

She smiled apologetically at the crowd and did her best to provide fanservice despite the chaos. She appreciated her fans, of course.

“Let’s go this way, Miss. There is a van waiting for you and your manager.”

“Of course, I understand.” She slipped on her shades and followed the security team’s leader to her awaiting van. Once she entered the van, she relaxed and closed her eyes. Filming this past week was intense, not to mention that her schedule was extremely packed as a result of filming for a movie overseas. She hadn’t been able to visit Korea at all, and she was surprised by subtle changes in the scenery she had grown accustomed to. Her mind was working hard at prioritizing what needed to be done while she was in Korea. She was finally able to get a break from her agency after working hard the entire year without a chance to rest. They were more than happy to comply since they had warned that her workload would potentially give her a burnout in the long run. For now, she would just work on her new album and rest.

“I wonder how she’s doing, she’s probably at home, doing nothing right?” She took out her phone and unlocked it. “I hope she’s been doing okay without me.” She sighed.

OOOOO

After travelling for some time, the butterfly and the puppy met a crying recorder.

“Recorder, why are you crying?”

The crying recorder answered.

“Everybody keeps touching me with their dirty fingers. They don’t clean me and keep me in the right place. My body is filled with saliva.”

The puppy said, “come on a trip with us.”

Tzuyu stared at her phone, deep in thought. You said that one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.

“To me, you’re my treasure.”

Tzuyu’s eyes closed and she was brought back to the past. She could see herself holding a book, with her mother watching her with proud eyes. Her arm was drapped around Tzuyu’s shoulders as she recited something from the book. Her mother ruffled her hair and a young Tzuyu was beaming with joy.

Suddenly, that image faded and was replaced by a young Tzuyu who was crying on the floor. Tears stained the books beneath her as she was crying out for her mother.

“Mom… mom… where are you… mom…”

“So dirty.” A voice cut through the sounds of her sobbing. “A dirty kid like you… haha…” The woman laughed evilly. “Who would want someone like you?”

Tzuyu’s eyes snapped open and she began hyperventilating. She put her head in her hands as she rocked back and forth to try and calm her heart palpitations. Her body was shaking from the sudden intrusion. Her fingers felt numb and she tried to recall happy feelings and thoughts like Sana suggested. Slowly, she could feel her panic coming down and she was left sweaty and exhausted mentally, as well as emotionally. She swallowed thickly. No, not again.

OOOOO

“YOU DID WHAT?!!” Momo held Sana in a tight chokehold. “Yeah, right, so you just went and ignored my advice and just did it, huh? You never listen to what I say completely!!”

“Aghhh!!” Sana was slowly choking from the pressure Momo was applying on . “I’m sorry!!”

“Did you want to die that much, Sana? Huh? I’ll let you experience the afterlife in advance! Free of charge!”

“N—no! Ack!! Sis, I’m sorry!!” Sana managed to squeeze out.

Momo released her from the chokehold and sighed. “The reason why I told you about ‘flooding,’ was to remind you that it’s risky.”

“By the way Sana, don’t even think about trying ‘flooding.’ It could actually worsen the situation if you’re not careful.” Sana suddenly recalled Momo’s words from the last time she was in her office, because truth be told, she kind of lost track after Momo went on a long speech about KFC? CFT? CBT? Whatever it was.

“You’re not an expert, Sana! It could’ve gone wrong! She could’ve gotten hurt.” Momo scolded angrily.

“But… I wanted to cure it as soon as possible…”

Momo put her hands on her hips. “You need to take time to help her overcome it. If you remind her of her trauma, it might get worse.”

“Her trauma?” Sana raised her eyebrow.

“I mean, she might have had a bad experience in the past.” Momo sat down on the couch. “Some people have OCD after they experience a very upsetting or traumatic experience. It’s possible for her to have panic attacks as well when faced with a stimulus that reminds them of that.”

“Then, what kind of experience causes mysophobia?”

“Hm… well, no one knows. It’s different for every patient. Because, everybody has different reasons for anxiety disorders. That’s why you must be careful. Nobody knows what she’s been through, and we don’t know her character as well. However, I think the best way to get at the root of her mysophobia is to get rid of her trauma or her maladaptive thoughts.”

“Hm… well I can’t necessarily know what she’s thinking all the time, but how can I find out what her trauma is?”

“Let her talk. Become friends with her first, maybe she’ll open up to you about it.” Momo advised.

OOOOO

After consulting with Momo about Tzuyu’s condition, Sana went home and started a bath, so she could sit and think. She played with the bubbles and started replaying the conversation she had with her sister.

Her trauma… well, I’ve never actually thought about it before. How did Chicken get OCD in the first place? Did something happen to her? How can I be friends with her? Is that even possible, with the relationship we have now?

OOOOO

Tzuyu went to the washroom to freshen up after her panic attack. She looked at the person staring back at her in the mirror. It’s been so long, but it still haunted her. She slammed her fist on the sink. She gritted her teeth in pain.

“Damn it…”

Tzuyu walked back to her desk and noticed that there was a missed call and a missed text.

Jihyo: Hey Tzuyu! I’m back from filming “Law of the Jungle.” The company is letting have a break. Anyways, have you eaten yet? Are you doing okay?  Let me know when I can see you. I miss you!

Tzuyu couldn’t help but smile at the sudden surprise. Her friend was finally back in Korea! She had missed Jihyo’s presence dearly. It was a welcome surprise, since for the past few weeks, things had been pretty hectic, especially with a certain neighbor living next door.

Me: Hey Jihyo!! I missed you too. I have so much to tell you. Things have been crazy, especially since you and Elkie are gone. But let’s meet up and talk then. You’re the busy one, you tell me when you’re free.

Tzuyu was feeling much better by the time she replied to Jihyo’s text. It’s been about a year since she last saw her. As a writer, she really wasn’t all that busy compared to Jihyo. She was thankful for her career choice, because the last time she saw Jihyo’s schedule she couldn’t believe that things were planned out a year in advance. She had almost fainted seeing what she had to do in a year. Jihyo was definitely Superwoman, that was for sure. GodJihyo, lives up to her name, because there was no way a normal human could survive that schedule.

OOOOO

Sana wrapped up another shoot successfully. Everything had gone as planned and the pictures looked good too.

“Okay, we’re done here. Thank you, for your hard work!”

“No, thank you! Staff, you’ve all worked hard!”

Sana finished getting dressed and was about to leave before she was stopped.

“Sana, do you have a second?” She was beckoned over by one of the staff.

“Yes, is there something you need?”

“Sana, you live alone, right? Will you keep this goldfish?” The woman held up the fishbowl, and sure enough a beautiful goldfish was swimming inside. “I brought it as a prop for the shoot. Now, I don’t know what to do with it…” She laughed awkwardly.

“Um… I don’t keep animals though…”

“Goldfish are easy to look after. I heard keeping a pet is good for those who live alone!”

OOOOO

The sound of typing echoed throughout the room. Tzuyu was hard at work, trying to finish a draft for her novel.

Ding-dong!

Tzuyu looked up from her screen. She wasn’t expecting visitors. She opened the door and there was no one there. She looked down and found a goldfish in a bag filled with water, along with fish feed and a note.

“What is this?” Tzuyu held her phone to her ear and the other hand held the bag with the goldfish.

“It’s written there on the note. It’s a present for you.”

“Take it back. I’ll go to your house now.”

“Nuh-uh. I’m changing my clothes now. Why don’t you try and keep it? They say keeping pets are good for your mental health. If I set it free in a pond, cats might eat it. And I don’t want to flush it down the toilet either!”

“But… I can’t…”

“Let me know whether it’s okay, from time to time okay? Thanks!” Sana hung up the phone.

“W—wait!” Tzuyu put the phone down. “Jeez, she never listens to me… I’ve never had something like this before… What should I do?” Tzuyu’s attention was drawn to the black line coming out from the fish’s behind. It was wriggling in the water.

It… it pooped… Tzuyu was struck by lightening, she almost dropped the bag as a result of her revelation.

“W—wait! Aghh!! No! No! Don’t eat it!! Don’t!!”

Happy new year everyone! Here's another update :D Wishing you guys all the best for 2019! As always, if you liked the story, please subscribe, leave a comment and upvote!!

Also LOL I was finally able to apply my psychology degree in this chapter. Woohoo, the classes I took didn't go to waste!

You guys can also talk to me on twitter: @amandawhyy