“Tzuyu-ya.” Nayeon’s voice cuts clear through the air outside of Milky Pastries. The other three members of RO5E have already left to walk home together. Nayeon usually goes with Jihyo, but tonight, she’s held Tzuyu behind.

“Yes?” Tzuyu responds delicately, turning to face her vocalist. Nayeon looks nervous, more nervous than Tzuyu’s ever seen her before. “Unnie, are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Nayeon blushes lightly. She’s babbling. This is much, much worse than Tzuyu thought. Nayeon hardly gets nervous before performing in front of hundreds of people. What could possible be shaking her up so much?

Tzuyu’s answer comes a second later. “I’ve been asked out by Jeongyeon— ah, Yoo Jeongyeon-ssi, aSHE’s vocalist. To dinner.”

“That’s wonderful. I hope you two enjoy yourselves. Pardon me, but what do I have to do with it?”

“That’s the thing. Tzuyu, you must come with me.”

“Excuse me?”

Tzuyu likes to think of herself as calm, levelheaded, but sometimes the universe just throws things at her that knock her completely out of orbit. Im Nayeon asking Tzuyu to be her plus one to her date with Yoo Jeongyeon, her (former?) archrival, has to be one of them.

“Listen, Tzuyu-ya, I’m really— unsure about us, about this— date. So many things could go wrong, and if they do, I want— I just need backup. In the form of you.

Tzuyu sighs, taking a seat in one of the outdoor chairs by the café. “Why not Jihyo-unnie?”

“Well, Jihyo is… Jihyo. She’s great support, but she would be much too enthusiastic. You, however, I can count on to be cool, and not too obvious.”

“Won’t it be awkward? You two, on your date, and… well, me?”

“Well…” Nayeon looks pensive, maybe even more nervous. “She’s bringing a friend, too.”

~

At home, Tzuyu rationalizes. Yoo Jeongyeon has lots of friends, right? She could bring Hirai Momo, or Myoui Mina, or even Choi Hyojung. If she brought Kim Dahyun, Tzuyu might be delighted. After all, Nayeon hadn’t brought her closest friend. That means that Jeongyeon doesn’t have to either. Hopefully.

~

As usual, fate is cruel to Tzuyu, and two days later, she finds herself sitting across from Minatozaki Sana.

It’s not that she hates Minatozaki Sana. They’ve hardly spoken before, and much she knows about her is secondhand. But what she does know is that Sana gets great grades, that she’s proficient at the guitar, while simultaneously seeming to be the laziest person on Earth.

The whole thing reminds her strangely of Chaeyoung, and while Tzuyu has (is trying to) moved past her inferiority complex, it still leaves a bitter taste in . Perhaps it wouldn’t be as bad if Sana didn’t also play the guitar, but she does, and Tzuyu’s heard her play before. She’s brilliant. She definitely has her own sound.

“Ah, Tzuyu-ssi… is it alright if I call you by your first name?” Sana pipes up, and Tzuyu blinks herself back to reality. Right. Dinner.

“Yes, that’s fine, Minatozaki-ssi.” She replies, picking up the menu for the restaurant as she speaks. Nayeon is seated to her left, seemingly engaged in conversation with Jeongyeon.

“Aw, just Sana is alright with me~” Sana replies. Tzuyu nods back, taking a drink of water. She will absolutely not be calling this girl by only her first name after speaking with her for all of two seconds. “But anyways, Tzuyu-ssi… come here often?”

The drink of water she’s just taken comes back up , causing Tzuyu to sputter all over the place, coughing water onto the menu she just picked up. She can feel her face turning bright red, and by the time she’s cleared , she’s caused enough fuss that Nayeon and Jeongyeon have stopped talking to direct their attention to her.

“You alright?”

Tzuyu attempts a smile and turns to Nayeon. “Yeah, sorry about all of that.” Nayeon gives one of her serious nods, but adds a light smile. Nayeon and Jeongyeon resume their conversation, and Tzuyu must regain at least some of her dignity with Sana.

“Excuse me, but were you trying to hit on me?”

“Relax, I was only joking~” Sana grins at her wickedly. “Besides, we’re not the ones on a date here. Look at ‘em.” She nods her head at Nayeon and Jeongyeon, who are rapidly speaking.

Nayeon looks liberated in a way that Tzuyu’s never seen before. Jeongyeon is similarly fierce, and though both are speaking quickly, their tones are friendly and warm.

“Well, Yoo-ssi, the only reason RO5E hasn’t attempted that style is because we want to perfect our distinct sound first! You can’t possibly blame us for chasing perfection.”

“Perfection isn’t possible! You’re better off trying everything. Sure, aSHE is known for our punk style, but it’s always worth it to go out of our comfort zone, with Sunflower Feelings. And, besides, RO5E, is as close to perfect as it gets.”

Nayeon looks touched. “You think we’re perfect?” Her left hand rests on the table, and Tzuyu can’t help but think that it would so easy for Jeongyeon to rest her right hand on top of it.

A second later, Jeongyeon does exactly that, grasping it and squeezing. “I said as close as it gets, Im-ssi. Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Im-ssi?”

“You called me Yoo-ssi a moment ago.”

“Well, I didn’t want to assume…”

“Alright. You’re as close to perfect as it gets, Nayeon.”

Nayeon blushes, and Tzuyu turns back to Sana. Huh. Looks like Nayeon didn’t need her help, after all.

“They’re doing well, I’d say.”

“Hmm… I think so too. Let’s shake things up, make it more fun.” Sana contemplates.

Tzuyu’s eyebrows shoot up. This could be trouble. “Minatozaki-ssi, what—?"

“Hey, guys!” Sana almost yells, exerting more energy that she has the entire night. “Let’s play a game where you can’t talk about music for the rest of the night.”

Nayeon practically blanches. Jeongyeon looks like she may strangle Sana.

“Ah…” Jeongyeon trails.

“Well…” Nayeon attempts.

This, Tzuyu realizes, is her time.

“What are you all thinking of ordering?” She asks the table. Nayeon looks delighted.

“Well, I was considering the udon, but I can’t decide between that and the ramen.”

“Ah, I love ramen! There’s this place, Watanabe Ramen, that Sana and I went to this one time, and…”

Tzuyu breathes a sigh of relief. It seems to be back on track. Once again, her attention turns back to Sana. “What are you doing?” She hisses, palm slamming down onto the table. “This is exactly why I almost didn’t come. I was so worried something like this would happen, I—”

Sana huffs. “Don’t be so high-and-mighty. I had my own reasons, that’s all~”

Tzuyu almost opens to retort, but is interrupted by the waitress coming back to the table.

“A hamburg steak, please. No cheese, and no carrots on the side.”

Sana snickers. “You’re so picky, Tzuyu-chan.”

“I have my preferences, that’s all. And don’t call me -chan, we’re not even that close.”

“Hm~ Whatever you say.” Silence settles on their side of the table. Nayeon and Jeongyeon still seem okay, but Tzuyu doesn’t like the awkwardness.

“Listen, I’ve been wondering. How exactly do you practice? I’ve listened to the off-vocals of several, maybe even all of, aSHE’s tracks, and your guitar is so consistent. It’s so distinct, too, and I want to find that for myself. My own sound, as I’ve been calling it.”

Sana looks slightly shocked, perhaps from the praise. She recovers quickly, face shifting back into it’s resting tired face. “I really… don’t do anything. I show up to aSHE’s practices, I play, that’s it.”

Tzuyu squints. Something seems off. “No, I don’t think that’s true. Your guitar is great. I don’t handout false compliments. No, I think you must put a lot of work into it, you just don’t want anyone to kn—”

Sana sighs loudly. “Ah, there goes my secret out in the open.”

“There’s no shame in hard work, you know.”

“No one expects it from me, that’s all. If more people knew, they would think of me differently.”

Tzuyu frowns. That’s… oddly true, for her, but she doesn’t like it.

They’re interrupted, once again, by the waitress setting down their food. Tzuyu grimaces at hers.

“How many times…? They never remember the no carrots.” She pushes them aside from the rest of her food, tempted to put them into a napkin.

Sana laughs at her again. “And now, Tzuyu-chan’s secret: she can be, strangely enough, a child about some things.”

Tzuyu huffs again, but quickly smiles back at Sana. She’s starting to realize that Sana’s comments aren’t meant to offend. “Perhaps that’s true,” She adds, cutting into her steak.

The tension is diffused between them, and Tzuyu finds herself smiling more and more as they dine. It’s a similar effect to what’s happening to Nayeon. It’s nice to talk to another guitarist, someone who understands what playing is all about (and doesn’t add the words ‘boppin’ or ‘zappin’ in every sentence).

Strangely, when they rise from the table, Tzuyu feels a bit sad to be parting from Sana’s company.

Outside, Jeongyeon smiles at Nayeon as they say their goodbyes.

“Well, Sana, let’s be on our way.”

“Wait!” Tzuyu exclaims. “You two,” She gestures to Jeongyeon and Nayeon, “Go together. Minatozaki-ssi and I can be alone for a bit longer.”

Nayeon smiles gratefully. “Thank you, Tzuyu. See you at practice tomorrow.”

Tzuyu finds her smile back is easy, and gives Nayeon a small push closer to Jeongyeon.

“I think they’re going to Yoo Jeongyeon-ssi’s place first. My house is in the opposite direction, if we want to give them more privacy.” Tzuyu explains.

Sana nods, and the two walk in silence, for a bit. The air is just starting to turn cold, and when Tzuyu breathes through , she can see it.

“Say, Minatozaki-ssi, I was wondering,” She begins, puffing out the words.

“Hm, what is it?”

“Why did you interrupt earlier when we were eating? I thought you — we— were there to help them, not hinder.”

Sana stops walking, reaching up to scratch her own neck. “Aah, I was hoping you’d ask anything about that.” She huffs again, crossing her arms across her chest. “Well, since you already guessed my other secret~ The truth is, I kinda… didn’t want Jeongyeon to hit it off that well with Im Nayeon-ssi. I want Jeongyeon to be happy, of course! But I felt like… everything would change if they were together. We wouldn’t spend as much time together and I just… didn’t want that.” Sana looks down to the pavement, looking properly shamed.

“Hey.” Surprising herself, Tzuyu reaches out and grabs Sana’s hand, tugging her forward. “Listen. Jeongyeon-ssi cares about you. I haven’t spent much time around you, but that much is incredibly obvious. She won’t just abandon you. And listen,” Tzuyu falters, because Sana has looked up, and it’s a bit much to be staring into her eyes and holding her hand, but Tzuyu can’t make herself stop either. “If you ever feel lonely, or like you need someone— a friend, or whatever— I don’t mind… that. For you.”

Sana brings her hand up to and giggles. It’s a new sound, but Tzuyu enjoys it.

“Tzuyu-chan, are you hitting on me?”

Tzuyu laughs back. “Shut up.”

But she doesn’t give Sana the chance, pulling the other girl to her lips. Their cold breath mingles together, and the whole thing seems rather ridiculous to Tzuyu, but she can’t bring herself to stop. To think she had been dreading the chance of Sana being at dinner… the her that was sitting in her room two days ago could have never predicted this.

Tzuyu’s well aware of how ill-advised this kiss— these kisses — are, how she barely knows Sana, how they make zero sense together, but she doesn’t pull back until it comes to a kind of natural end.

Sana laughs once again and crinkles her nose in a way Tzuyu finds rather cute. “Jeongyeon will never believe this.”

“Neither will Nayeon-unnie.”

“But…?”

“Well,” Tzuyu starts, “We hardly know each other. We had one dinner together, which we mostly argued through, and now we’re kissing.”

“But.” Sana sticks out her tongue at Tzuyu.

“But, I think we’re both… oddly similar. And I think we could get along well. Possibly. If you’re willing to try.”

Sana smiles broadly. “Are you trying to ask me out, Tzuyu?”

“Perhaps.”

“Can this count as our first date, if we really just piggybacked on Jeongyeon’s and Nayeon-ssi’s?”

“Well,” Tzuyu considers this, considers the side of herself she’s shown Sana, and decides to be bold. “Only if you kiss me goodnight.”

Sana doesn’t mention Tzuyu’s growing blush.