Tzuyu had always been attractive.

 

Even with a pencil in between her teeth, hand supporting her tilted head and eyebrows furrowed, the radiating beauty of the tall girl never failed to falter.

 

Of course many would notice that pretty face; even the bunny-teethed girl who was sitting a few tables away in the school cafeteria.

 

It was just two school days and a weekend after the little encounter between her, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon.

 

Though Nayeon wanted to spark up a conversation on the way home, she couldn’t seem to do so as the tall girl had stared into the open space, looking deep in thought. They may have sat together, but it seemed that Tzuyu was somewhere else with the crease formed in between her eyebrows.

 

Surprisingly, there was no usual bickering between the two.

 

And this happened in the past few days.

 

She’d come across the tall girl on the way to the bus stop the past two mornings, and Tzuyu only gave her a small nod with hands buried deep into her pockets. She’d continue walking after doing so, knowing that Nayeon would be right behind her. Even as they bumped into each other in the hallways or in the classrooms, Tzuyu could only spare her a glance as if in greeting and go her own way. Not much attention was brought in the lack of interaction between the two, as if Nayeon was blessed with luck that no one seemed to bother to at the moment.

 

On the way home for the past two days, she doesn’t see the tall girl at the bus stop. Maybe she was in the library again, avoiding anyone who’d try to talk to her and is probably throwing all of the letters in the bin next to her table. Nayeon doesn’t see the tall girl at the park they went to either. She visits the place with Kookeu on a Sunday afternoon, partly hoping that she finds the tall girl with her dog.

 

But that wasn’t the case; there was no sign of the person who ridiculed her.

 

With her lunch in front of her, Nayeon could only stare at the brunette who was apparently done with her meal and seemed to be studying in advance. Jeongyeon had called out her name, noticing how the bunny-teethed girl wasn’t listening to what she had to say and had her mind somewhere else.

 

“Sorry,” Nayeon muttered before returning her gaze to who called her. “What was it, again?”

 

She was sharing a table with Sana and Jeongyeon. Her best friend was beside her while the other was across.

 

“The tryouts,” Jeongyeon reminded, the corner of her lip tugging up. “At least watch me? Dahyun and Chaeyoung are trying out too, so no one’s going to be able to root for us.”

 

Immediately by hearing the name of the person she was crushing on, Sana had swallowed the food in too quickly and almost choked. “Dahyun’s there?!”

 

The sister of the said girl could only roll her eyes and almost wanted to gag in feign disgust, patting her best friend’s back when she started to cough. She still couldn’t grasp the idea of her best friend liking her only sister. Jeongyeon could only offer a laugh and nodded. “Yeah, the three of us are trying out.”

 

“What about Tzuyu?”

 

Jeongyeon stops chewing and lifts her head up, only to find the bunny looking back at her with curious eyes. It was always the four of them and everyone knew that. They seemed to be inseparable, because they usually are. With the tall girl refusing to neither socialize nor even acknowledge her so-called admirers, everyone could see how the remaining three were the only ones Tzuyu seemed to be fond of.

 

“Tzuyu?” Jeongyeon repeats uninterested but was unnoticed by the person who asked. Nayeon nodded with her arms crossed on the table.

 

The short haired girl sighs. Honestly, she doesn’t know how the tall brunette was doing. She hasn’t heard much from her ever since that little bus stop incident, nor does she bump into her much in the hallways and in the classes they shared. Tzuyu was a bit closed off the past few days as well, she wasn’t replying to any of their group chat’s messages nor was she even reading them.

 

She shrugs and swallows the food in , “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her much lately.”

 

Nayeon looks down on her lunch, heaving out a sigh. She would be lying if she says she wasn’t curious at all, because she most definitely is. She was used to the tall brunette pestering her every day and now that Tzuyu wasn’t bugging her, she found it a tad bit odd.

 

Instead, she shakes the thought of the tall girl off and picks up her chopsticks, devouring her lunch almost all too quickly.

 

“So, what time are the tryouts?”

 

-

 

They were almost done for the day as Nayeon and Sana stepped out of the class they shared.

 

The two had then walked to their lockers to grab the book they needed for their last class.

 

“I’ll come to your class after last period so we can go to the field together.” Sana offers as she closes her locker, putting the book in her bag and slinging it over her shoulder afterwards.

 

Nayeon turns her head to the squirrel who was now leaning her head against the locker, “You sure you don’t have any student council work to do afterwards?”

 

The other shakes her head, “Jihyo told me there wasn’t much to do later and that she has to be somewhere else.”

 

 Nayeon nods and closes her locker, carrying her book in hand. “Okay.”

 

The bell rings, signalling the students that they had five minutes to get to their classes before they get marked late. The pitter-patter of feet was heard as everyone rushed to their classrooms before they get an earful from their teachers.

 

“See ya!” Sana waves goodbye and turns to the other direction.

 

Nayeon waves at her too before tugging on her locker to see if she closed it right, double checking just in case her books might drop out all of the sudden.

 

With a few minutes left to spare since her classroom wasn’t too far, she whips out her phone and sends a text to her sister.

 

[to: the white child]

: i can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were trying out for the softball team. anyway, i’m watching. let’s go home together.

 

Nayeon had her head in her phone while she walked and as her thumb pressed over the green send button, she bumps into a tall figure’s chest. Her phone almost slipped from her grasp if she didn’t have a firm grip on it.

 

“Sorry,” Nayeon quickly mutters and lifts her head up.

 

She was surprised to see the face of the person who was plaguing her mind; Tzuyu.

 

Nayeon took in a breath, almost ready to berate the tall girl and for the possible bickering she was hoping for lately. But she failed to do so after registering the fact of how close she was to the tall brunette.

 

Her heart fluttered. First, it’s because of the close proximity between her and the taller. Second, was the strong perfume that was most definitely pleasing to her senses. Lastly, it was because Tzuyu hasn’t talked to her much and now she might have the chance of doing so.

 

But that’s the thing: they rarely talk, they only bicker. The furthest they’ve been in a conversation was when they were at the park, talking about their dogs.

 

Dogs, for pete’s sake.

 

And that was all of it.

 

 “Oh, Tzuyu-“

 

But what surprised her most was that the taller didn’t seem to bother at all and just walked past her, bumping into her shoulder, head buried in the book she was reading. As if she didn’t recognize that it was her.

 

Without even a glance or a teasing side comment, Tzuyu just strolls as if nothing happened with her eyes still fixated on the textbook in her hand. Nayeon was left baffled. It wasn’t that the tall girl meant to just walk past her without hearing an apology; she was just too invested in her reading and didn’t heed. Tzuyu doesn’t even know who she bumped into.

 

And as for Nayeon, well, she silently hoped that the tall brunette would glance her way and bother her.

 

She stares at her back, waiting for Tzuyu to turn around by feeling a pair of eyes on her, but she didn’t.

 

And so Nayeon turns the other way and heads off to last period.

 

-

 

“No.”

 

“Please?”

 

“I said no,” said Nayeon firmly while making a beeline for the field.

 

“Just this once, for me?”

 

“No, Sana. I am not barging into the locker room just to pull Dahyun out.”

 

“But I just want to give her this energy drink,” Sana bargained, pouting behind her friend.

 

“Give it to her yourself!”

 

They arrived at the field by the time Sana had kept shut after countless attempts of persuading the bunny-teethed girl. She had her arms crossed over her chest with a pout on her lips.

 

“Nayeonnie-“

 

“You already have her number, Sana. It’s just an energy drink!” Nayeon had to fight the urge of rolling her eyes.

 

They finally reached the bleachers where a few other students who came to watch were already seated. Thankfully it was just a tryout, or Nayeon wouldn’t even bother to come. She hated finding vacant seats, especially if those seats are far apart from each other.

 

“But,” the squirrel matches the bunny’s pace and was now beside her. “You’re her sister, and I’m your best friend-“

 

Nayeon trudges up and finds a good spot in the middle row; the field can be seen clearly from where they were and the breeze would hit them just fine.

 

“Exactly. You’re my best friend, and she’s my sister!”

 

“So?”

 

“I am disgusted!”

 

Though slightly offended, Sana just let it slide after seeing the expression on the other’s face. Nayeon’s face scrunched with mild disgust and she could only laugh. They let the topic drop after Sana finally agrees to hand out the energy drink once the white-skinned girl comes out to the field.

 

The pair took their seats, making themselves comfortable and placing their bags on the seat next to them. Some of the players and those who were joining the tryouts were already on the field. However, the three people they came for weren’t out yet.

 

Jeongyeon had left right away after last period while Nayeon was waiting for Sana. She didn’t get to bid the short haired girl good luck. Shrugging, she thought she’d wish her once she sees her out on the field.

 

“Do you have a towel with you?”

 

“Yes,” a voice replied nonchalantly.

 

“Your water bottle?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you bring an extra shirt? I brought spares ones from the house-“

 

“Unnie!” the younger cuts the other off with a chuckle escaping her lips. “I’m fine. I’m not a kid anymore.”

 

Nayeon couldn’t help but overhear a little banter and see it from the corner of her eye too. Her seatmate was busy texting on her phone to notice it along with her. Curiosity took over and she turned her head to look at the exchange.

 

Her eyes were glued onto the younger.

 

It was Tzuyu.

 

Nayeon’s eyes squinted in confusion. Was she trying out too?

 

Somehow there was this unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach out of her not knowing the taller was playing too.

 

Jihyo was seated in the first row. Tzuyu had her hands on Jihyo’s shoulders and bent over a bi