Tzuyu found herself racking her brain for something to talk about, since she and Jeongyeon had been sitting next to each other for about ten minutes now. They both arrived a little earlier than scheduled, so they decided to sit next to each other under the assumption that the organizer and the sandwich shop representative were arriving on time.

 

Well this is awkward. She thought to herself as she fidgeted with her phone in her hands. Good thing Dahyun and Chaeyoung aren’t here to see this, or I’ll never hear the end of it.

 

Tzuyu was about to try and ask Jeongyeon about her day, but Jeongyeon managed to speak first. “So uhh, looks like we’re both early, huh?” Jeongyeon remarked.

 

“Heh, yeah. My mom always told me that to be early is to be on time so, here I am.” Tzuyu answered. “So umm, where are the others?”

 

“Dunno, but I’m sure they’re on their way. It’s almost 6:30 anyway.” Jeongyeon said. “So, how have you been holding up lately?” She continued.

 

“Oh, you know, the usual. I’m sort of getting used to it, but I still get tired a lot.” Tzuyu answered. “I always thought college was just gonna be like high-school but a hundred times harder. Turns out, it’s a thousand times harder.”

 

“Amen to that.” Jeongyeon agreed. “The first year is always tough, and just when you thought you’ll get used to it, the next year just slaps you across the face. And the next one. And the next one until you finally graduate.”

 

“Sheesh, that’s sad to think about.” Tzuyu remarked. “But I guess that’s just how it is.”

 

“Yup, but I’m sure you can handle it. You made it this far and you’re still going.” Jeongyeon added as she smiled in Tzuyu’s direction. It was barely a compliment, but Tzuyu still found herself struggling not to crack a smile. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

 

“And then there’s my friends. Nothing wrong with them, but sometimes I really just wanna tell them to get a room.” Tzuyu continued. “Like, have some respect for the single person in the room.”

 

“Heh, yeah, I get that. I’ve been on the receiving end of that from my friends in the past.” Jeongyeon said as she chuckled to herself. “They were always like “Oh great, here comes Nayeon and Jeongyeon again.””

 

“You two were that close, huh?” Tzuyu asked.

 

“Yeah, but you know, a lot can happen.” Jeongyeon continued, her voice trailed off. A brief moment of silence passed between them since the talk about Nayeon was still a sensitive topic for Jeongyeon. “But, you know, as the youngsters say nowadays, “it do be like that sometimes”.”

 

Tzuyu couldn’t help but hold back a laugh. “Oh come on, you’re not that old.” 

 

“Well, I certainly feel old. Baking in the morning and studying in the evening can really do a number on you.” Jeongyeon responded as she rolled up one of her sleeves and pointed to a spot on her arm. “See this scar? Burnt myself on a preheated pan because I was zoning out after pulling an all-nighter.”

 

“Damn…” Tzuyu could only say, both from the story of the scar and from the sight of Jeongyeon’s toned arm muscles. She could feel her heartbeat through her chest with the sudden feeling that washed over her. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but the uncertainty of it all made her feel nervous.

 

Just then, Jeongyeon’s phone vibrated in her pocket. “Oh, it must be them.” She said as she took her phone out to check the text. As she read the message though, she slowly pursed her lips and sighed deeply.

 

Tzuyu snapped out of her feelings for a moment as she noticed the change in Jeongyeon’s expression and decided to ask about it. “What’s up? Is there a problem?” 

 

Jeongyeon sat back in her seat as she spoke. “Apparently, there’s been a little mix-up with the other organizers so they’re gonna be a bit late.”

 

“O-oh, well that’s unfortunate.” Tzuyu remarked.

 

“I know, right? They don’t know how long they’ll take, but they did say that we can order something to snack on while we wait because the dinner will get served when we’re all here.” Jeongyeon added. “At least we got that going for us, I guess.” 

 

More one-on-one time with Jeongyeon? Crap, should I be happy about it or not? I shouldn’t be tense, but why am I tense?! What the hell am I feeling?! She thought to herself as she tried to come up with something to say. 

 

“Hey, you alright?” Jeongyeon asked her after noticing her fidgeting and her tense expression.

 

“Oh! Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just a little cold.” Tzuyu answered before moving to stand up. “I uhh, I need to go to the bathroom." She left quickly, leaving a confused Jeongyeon behind.

 

I just need to take a breather and get myself together. Tzuyu thought as she entered the restroom and went straight to the sink. She the tap, letting the water run through her fingers for a moment before washing her face to clear her mind.

 

After she was done though, the person she saw standing next to her made her want to sink into the floor, because wouldn’t you know it, it was-

 

“Dahyun?!” Tzuyu let out with a startled gasp.

 

“Oh! Tzuyu! Fancy seeing you here.” Dahyun remarked, acting surprised to see her. 

 

“W-what are you doing here?” Tzuyu asked right away. 

 

“Same reason you are.” Dahyun answered as she gave Tzuyu a playful nudge. “I see you got a date tonight too, eh?”

 

“It’s not a date! Really, it’s not.” Tzuyu said in an attempt to keep Dahyun from teasing her. “Remember the event that Jeongyeon needed my help with? We’re just meeting up with the organizer and it just so happens that they’re late.”

 

“Mhm, okay, sure.” Dahyun replied, still not quite believing Tzuyu’s statement. “Did you ask her out or did she ask you out?”

 

“Well, she was the one who asked me if I wanted to come to the meeting with her, but that’s besides the point. It’s not a date.” Tzuyu persisted. 

 

“So what are you doing here then?” Dahyun asked.

 

“I’m uhh… well…” Tzuyu said as she tried to think of an excuse. “I just need to take a moment for myself, you know?”

 

“Really now…” Dahyun remarked in disbelief. “You’re literally with Jeongyeon and you decide to take a moment for yourself.”

 

“I mean, don’t we all need some time for ourselves? Like, even when we’re with our… uhh…” Tzuyu said as her voice trailed off. 

 

Dahyun laughed at Tzuyu’s attempt at lying. “Alright Tzuyu, tell me the truth. What’s going on with you?”

 

“Alright, you got me.” She conceded, sighing as she turned to face the mirror. “Truth is, I’m really nervous right now and I needed to catch my breath.” 

 

“What are you worrying about?” Dahyun asked further while she retouched her makeup. “I thought she already knew that you have a crush on her and she’s cool with it.”

 

“Because… well...” Tzuyu muttered, her voice trailing off. “Because I think I like her. Like, for real, like her.”

 

“She’s just so… God where do I start? She’s nice, she’s smart, and she’s strong- physically and mentally. I don’t know where she finds the motivation to keep going.”

 

“Oh. My. God.” Dahyun could only say as she couldn’t contain her excitement, rushing to hug Tzuyu and pretending to cry. “Oh my God! I can’t believe it, our baby’s growing up so fast…”

 

“Oh quit it, Dahyun, it’s not like you’re that much older than me.” Tzuyu said as Dahyun broke off from her hug. “But…how do I… how do I deal with this now? I mean, clearly I’m not doing a good job right now.”

 

“Take it easy, Tzu. You got this!” Dahyun reassured her. “Just be you, okay? I know you got it in you.”

 

“Thanks Dahyun.” Tzuyu said as she pulled Dahyun in to wrap her in a proper warm hug. “But promise me you and Chaeyoung won’t make fun of me when we get back to the dorm. Deal?”

 

“Heh, alright, deal. Now get your back out there.” Dahyun said as she let go and playfully slapped Tzuyu’s . “Jeongyeon might die of boredom waiting for you.”

 

“Alright! Alright, I’m going.” Tzuyu said, laughing a little as she left the restroom. With a renewed resolve, she walked back to their table with a little more pep in her step.

 

“Hi.” Tzuyu greeted as she returned to her seat. “Sorry for taking too long. My stomach’s been acting up recently.” 

 

“It’s fine, you didn’t take that long.” Jeongyeon said as she perused the menu. “Soooo, are you hungry?”

 

“A little. Why?” Tzuyu asked.

 

“Wanna get chicken wings?” Jeongyeon suggested as she looked over at Tzuyu.

 

“Umm, sure!” Tzuyu agreed. “What flavors do they have?”

 

Jeongyeon returned to reading the flavors listed on the menu. “Uhh, they have garlic parmesan, barbecue, buffalo, honey-glaze, and a flavor called nuclear.”

 

“Nuclear, huh? Sounds spicy.” Tzuyu remarked.

 

“Wanna give it a shot?” Jeongyeon asked.

 

“I don’t see why not.” Tzuyu answered. “Though, I do have to say that I haven’t really built up much of a tolerance yet. Even store-bought hot sauce can make me sweat.”

 

“Heh, that’s okay. Baby steps!” Jeongyeon reassured her as she put the menu down. “We all gotta start somewhere, right?”

 

“Heh, yeah.” Tzuyu could only respond. You’re right. Baby steps. I shouldn’t be in a rush with my feelings. I have to deal with it step by step, and this seems like a good place to start.

------------------------------------------------------------

“Can you scoot over a little?” Chaeyoung asked as she craned her neck to check on Tzuyu and Jeongyeon. 

 

“Chae, come on, we can leave them be. Tzuyu’s got this.” Dahyun replied. 

 

“I know, I know. I just can’t help but be happy for her, you know?” Chaeyoung said as she relaxed back in her seat. “She hasn’t been this happy since, well, since the school year started.”

 

“Yeah. Look at ‘em. I think I get it now, how Tzuyu feels around us.” Dahyun remarked as she turned to look at them as well.

 

“How so?” Chaeyoung asked before taking a sip of water.

 

“I mean, you’re happy for them, but at the back of your mind, you wanna tell them to get a room.” Dahyun responded as she watched them. “They’re still cute though. It’s almost like looking in a mirror.”

 

“Mmm, yeah.” Chaeyoung said as she put her glass back down. “Except we’re not as tall as both of them.”

 

“So what? We’re cute-sized!” Dahyun said as she turned back to face Chaeyoung again. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

Chaeyoung was at a loss for words after what Dahyun said. She simply looked up and gazed into Dahyun’s eyes as she took her hand, smiling warmly as she squeezed tight. She can already feel herself blush as she watched Dahyun hide her face in an attempt to hide her own blushing.

 

“Ah, man, you’re starting to rub off on me.” Dahyun said as she laughed.

 

“Maybe I already have. You’re just embarrassed to admit it.” Chaeyoung teased. “Let’s be real here, you actually like it when I get all cheesy.”

 

“No I don’t! Not entirely anyway.” Dahyun answered as Chaeyoung let go of her hand. “Let’s just keep eating. The food’s getting cold.”

 

We might disagree on a lot of things, but I wouldn’t have it any other way either.