ACT I

 

“For the love of god, please don’t open that door for anybody else!”

 

That’s what Dahyun hears after the sound of a door slamming shut, and it’s enough for the high school junior to wildly spin in her chair, forgetting the homework in front of her for a second. There, leaning with her back against Dahyun’s front door like a survivor trying to keep out a crowd of zombies, is her best friend Tzuyu.

 

Upon seeing her, Dahyun releases the iron grip she has on her chair, hoping she didn’t leave claw marks. “Damn it, Tzu,” she mutters, walking up to her taller friend, “I thought this was a home invasion!”

 

“Sorry!” Tzuyu replies, though Dahyun notices that her tone is not sorry at all. It sounds more terrified than anything.

 

“Well, spill. Why did you come into my house huffing like you ran a marathon?” Dahyun asks in a more calmed tone, and it’s like Tzuyu, for a moment, forgot she rushed into her best friend’s house, because as soon as the sentence finishes leaving Dahyun’s lips, Tzuyu’s wild expression is back and she turns to shove her face into the door, trying to look through the peephole.

 

That worries Dahyun greatly, because it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots; it seems like Tzuyu is being followed. Again . See, it wouldn’t be the first time some creepy boy followed either of the girls home; sadly, it was a common occurrence for the two popular girls. 

 

“Should I grab my baseball bat?” Dahyun asks, already backing away to retrieve the heavily used weapon, but the taller of the two shakes her brunette head. 

 

“No, it’s not a boy this time.”

 

Before anyone can say anything else, a series of rapid knocks interrupts them. By the look on Tzuyu’s pretty face, it’s the person who’s got her so worked up.

 

Slowly, Dahyun’s eyes glide to the door as she asks “Tzuyu… Who’s at the door?”

 

“A squirrel,” Tzuyu says, and– and it’s not like Dahyun expected anything in the first place, but somehow those two words are the last thing she imagined her saying. She wants to laugh, and she would have too, if Tzuyu didn’t hate not being taken seriously so much. Plus, she looks so genuinely scared that clearly something serious is going on with that... squirrel.

 

She must’ve fed them despite all the signs telling her not to, Dahyun thinks as she motions to the door, letting Tzuyu know that she’s going to check it out anyway. That’s when Tzuyu’s posture turns awkward, almost embarrassed-like, and Dahyun wonders why until she takes a peek into the peephole and spies… a teenager. 

 

A human. 

 

Not a squirrel. 

 

Dahyun glares at Tzuyu before looking into the peephole again. It’s a girl that looks somewhat familiar. She’s holding dozens, if not more, of crinkled pieces of paper. She knocks again, quieter this time, and despite the pleading stares from her friend, Dahyun opens the door. After all, this isn’t a squirrel, so it’s not what’s got Tzuyu nervous, right?

 

“Hi! Is this where Tzuyu lives?” The girl smiles as she asks this, and Dahyun catches a flash of two front teeth larger than average; Dahyun promptly realizes her mistake. This is the squirrel, clearly, and Dahyun has opened the door for her. Nonchalantly she steps in the way of a clear view of the inside of her house, now a little more worried. She starts playing with her silver-dyed hair, assessing the situation.

 

“No, Tzuyu does not live here” she curtly says, already trying to figure out a way to spin kick her into tomorrow. (She knows how to. Dahyun took classes in second grade.)

 

“Oh,” the squirrel girl says, and Dahyun takes another second to really look at the girl. After taking notice of the uniform she wears (same colors, same style; she’s a schoolmate), she finally recognizes her as Nayeon, a senior that she shares a class with. But just because Dahyun recognizes her doesn’t mean she’s any less of a threat, as not only boys bother Tzuyu at school. 

 

“Well,” Nayeon continues, “We were put together as partners for the rest of the year and I planned on talking to her after class to get to know her some more, but she started running away as soon as soon as she saw me!” The girl sounds offended, like she’s some gift from God that needs to be appreciated twenty-four seven.

 

Dahyun steals a glance at Tzuyu, who is rolling her eyes. 

 

“Buuut anyway, since she’s not here, and I don’t know where she lives–“ Nayeon hands Dahyun all of Tzuyu’s papers, save for one. She pulls out a pencil, scribbles something down on that one paper, and hands it to Dahyun too. She smirks before she finishes her sentence. “–could you give her this? It’s my number. Thank you, Dahyun. I recognized you from classes. I’m telling you just in case you freak out, like your friend.” 

 

Nayeon winks and walks away, leaving a dumbfounded Dahyun at her door, arms full of Tzuyu’s schoolwork. Dahyun looks to her friend, who looks like she’s been through a lot in those five minutes. Her brown hair is disheveled, probably from nervously running her hand through it.

 

Dahyun sighs and closes the door with her foot, then offers Tzuyu a cup of tea before they talk about her new partner. It seems like a good idea to Dahyun; if she finds out what’s so scary about Nayeon, maybe they can work through it! 

 

But it turns out it’s much harder than she thought. Tzuyu seems to have zipped her lips about the reason why the older girl terrifies her so. 

 

Truth be told, Nayeon is super pretty, and nice to boot. Sure, she seems a little full of herself, but once Dahyun worked those gears in her brain, she recalled having an elective class with her the previous year as well; she was nice during all the (few) times they interacted. If Dahyun forgot a pencil, Nayeon always gently pushed an extra one her way. 

 

She tries to tell all of this to Tzuyu, but it’s all for nothing. The squirrel girl has seemingly turned into the bane of Tzuyu’s existence.

 

“She can smile and smile all she wants, Dahyun, but she’s still got a villainous cocky disposition about her that I don’t like” is all Dahyun ever gets out of Tzuyu. It wouldn’t be surprising that it might be the way the older girl acts that’s making her friend dislike her. But something is still off...

 

“At least you’re girls haven’t been put together for a project yet!” Dahyun says helpfully, one month after the first day of school (or: one month after Tzuyu found her mortal enemy).

 

This seems to relax the younger girl considerably. Why, Mrs. Woo must’ve completely forgotten about that silly arrangement! It wouldn’t be the first time a teacher said they’d do something on the first day of school and then promptly not give a about it a week later.

 

All is well for the two best friends.

 

That is...until another month rolls by.

 

On a pleasant October afternoon, as Dahyun is in her room ceremoniously writing in her special journal, Tzuyu bursts in, heaving like a sobbing toddler. Before Dahyun can ask Tzuyu how the hell she got into her house, her best friend holds up her phone up to the silver-haired girl’s face.

 

Im Nayeon (partner): hey :3 so that project miz Woo assigned huh? it’s gonna be a piece of cake! Hamlet? my specialty!!! 

Im Nayeon (partner): anyway wanna come over to my house and brainstorm ideas?

 

Dahyun looks up from Tzuyu’s phone to the drama queen herself. “Well?” she asks, “What are you going to do?”

 

Tzuyu looks like she just ate a rancid pickle. “Go with me?”

 

When Tzuyu texts back and says that Dahyun is going to be joining them during the brainstorming sessions, Nayeon is fine, no, delighted with it. In fact, she says she’ll bring someone too.

 

If Dahyun has to guess, it’s probably Hirai Momo, a girl she sees with Nayeon so often, they might as well be attached at the hip.

 

Nayeon lives close to school. Closer than Dahyun does, in fact. When they see Nayeon and Momo waiting for them at the flagpole, they’re treated to this fact and walk home to Nayeon’s. (It was Momo! Dahyun should become a psychic!) During the walk, Nayeon and Momo introduce themselves a little bit better, because despite all of them sharing a class or two, they’d never really interacted before.

 

“And since we’re going to be working on this project for the next week, we might as well get to know each other, right?” says Nayeon as she opens her front door. Dahyun isn’t totally against the idea. From what Momo and Nayeon have said so far, they seem like decent girls. The two seniors have been best friends since freshman year of high school, which Dahyun finds really nice. Dahyun introduces herself, and after seeing Tzuyu hesitate, says a little bit about her too. 

 

(She’s glad Tzuyu asked her to come with, because she’s not sure how long her best friend would have lasted without making the other two girls uncomfortable. When Tzuyu is nervous, she stares.)

 

In Nayeon’s room, they finally reveal the assignment to Momo and Dahyun: the teacher has given them Act I Scene I of Hamlet, with the guards Francisco and Bernardo, and they’ve been asked to change up the entire scene’s genre to any of their liking.

 

“Any ideas as to how we can reenact it?” Nayeon asks Tzuyu, who shakes her head wordlessly. 

 

“You can make it anything you want, right?” Momo asks from the farthest corner of Nayeon’s room, painting her nails a bright pink. She seems a little shy about being around them, which makes Dahyun a little sad. The blonde seemed so outgoing before entering Nayeon’s room!

 

“Yes,” Nayeon replies, looking at the simple instructions on the sheet given to her and tugging on her long hair.

 

“Make it romantic then,” Momo suggests with a shrug. “It’s a presentation, right? It’s bound to make everyone wake up and pay attention. Everyone loves a little romance, even me!”

 

Tzuyu’s nose wrinkles as Nayeon sits up excitedly. “A romance! A grand idea! But how ?” She grabs the script and reads a snippet of their assigned scene: “‘For this relief much thanks: 'tis bitter cold, and I am sick at heart.’ How am I supposed to make that romantic?”

 

(Dahyun’s skin grows goosebumps as she hears Nayeon joke around and read the script. She’s really good at reading it with feeling.)

 

After about ten minutes of debating, it’s settled: Act I Scene I of Hamlet will be a romance. Tzuyu doesn’t seem too into it, one can tell by the way she’s pulling on her own ear the entire time, but she remained silent when given the chance to change it. Dahyun watches carefully, promising her friend that she will make sure no one crosses any lines with Tzuyu. 

 

Momo claps after the third go-around and Dahyun follows naturally. Nayeon is making this work. Though there’s hardly any shred of romance in the original scene, Nayeon’s genius makes it work and it almost seems like Shakespeare himself wrote all of the play with the sole intention that 400 years later, two high school girls squeeze out all of the romantic subplot. 

 

“How do you do it, Nayeonnie?” Momo asks, now a lot closer to where the whole group is. “Your Francisco seems almost lovesick!”

 

Awkwardly, Nayeon gestures to Tzuyu with a blush and a small grin. “Well, it’s not hard to act like I find my fellow guard mate attractive when Mrs. Woo assigned me the prettiest girl in class.” 

 

Tzuyu grimaces and glances at Dahyun, who tries to shrug back as inconspicuously as possible. “Th-thank you,” she says, and keeps it at that.

 

On the walk back home, Dahyun walks alongside Tzuyu on the sidewalk and thinks about the past three hours spent with Momo and Nayeon and finds that she actually enjoyed it. Momo seems like such a sweetheart, and Nayeon turned out to be more than just the one-dimensional girl she’d assumed her to be. 

 

“Hey, Tzu?” Dahyun says, frightening Tzuyu a bit. She must’ve been thinking about the girls too. “I had fun. A lot of fun actually. I can’t help but keep thinking that I can’t wait to go to Nayeon’s house again tomorrow so you two can keep practicing!”

 

Tzuyu looks down at the concrete and Dahyun notices the way her grip tightens on the straps of her black backpack. 

 

Dahyun sighs and looks forward again, deciding to look at the oranges and purples of the darkening sky as she waits for her best friend to speak.

 

Please don’t be freaked out. Please don’t let it be what I think it is, she pleads silently. Having gotten a taste of new acquaintanceship, she wants this to blossom. I have a good feeling about them.

 

Finally, after about a minute, Tzuyu stops mid-walk. Dahyun sighs again and turns to see what her friend will say.

 

“What about the three of us?”

 

Dahyun bites her tongue. 

 

She knew it. She guessed it last minute, but she was right, and she feels silly for not figuring it out sooner. Of course this is holding her back!

 

“Tzuyu,” Dahyun says as patiently as she can, “We need to move on! We can’t keep having this conversation every time someone wants to be friendly with us.”

 

Tzuyu’s features harden before saying “Move on… Move on , Dahyun? From a promise?” 

 

She’s not angry, just hurt, Dahyun reminds herself as she takes in Tzuyu’s tone. Keeping that in mind, she sighs, again, and in a slow, steady voice, she responds. “ Please, let’s move on. Nayeon is nice! Super nice! And Momo is so funny and kind, if a bit shy. Give ‘em a chance.” She stops for a second and can’t help the words that come out next. “Besides, she’s dead , Tzuyu. She can’t decide for us if we continue to make friends or not. ”

 

Dahyun tells herself that it’s just the sunset shining in Tzuyu’s eyes and not tears forming. She tells herself that the distance between them is just because Tzuyu has less pep in her step. That the sniffling behind her is just the wind playing tricks on her. 

 

She’s not a very good liar, not even to herself, and soon, she’s crying along with Tzuyu on the darkened sidewalk next to their houses.

 

The next day is back to normal. 

 

Tzuyu still seems hurt by how Dahyun dismisses the promise they made years ago, but in general, everything is the same, especially after the long and sincere apology from Dahyun. 

 

That day, during lunch, Momo walks up to their table unannounced, sits with them and offers them some chips, bought by the senior herself. As a coincidence, they’re Tzuyu and Dahyun’s favorite chips, so Dahyun’s hand reaches for the bag despite herself.

 

“Hey, so today after school?” Momo asks, munching on her own snacks. Her tone is still shy, but Dahyun guesses that might just be her voice in general. No shy person would walk so boldly to the table of two girls they just met and sit. “Nayeon thinks you girls should practice some more to make sure you get it all down.”

 

Tzuyu pops the chip bag in response, causing everyone in the lunch room to flinch. 

 

Dahyun looks deep into her friend's brown eyes and understands what she’s trying to say; she turns to Momo.

 

“Tzuyu and I would love to,” she exaggerates. “At the flagpole after school, then?”

 

Momo’s grin grows by the second. (She’s got the cutest one Dahyun’s ever seen, she thinks.) “Yeah! At the flagpole!” 

 

Even after the conversation, Momo still sits with them for the rest of the lunch period, talking with Dahyun and including Tzuyu whenever she can. By the time lunch is over, Dahyun walks out of the cafeteria thinking that Momo is one of the coolest people ever.

 

In the hallway, before the final class of the day, Dahyun is stopped by a giant hand to her bicep. It’s Nayeon, much to the junior’s surprise, and she looks... disheveled. Not too much, but just enough to make Dahyun pull her to the side and ask what’s wrong.

 

Nayeon tries beginning with niceties, quiet “Hey, hello, how’s your day been?” but Dahyun interrupts to ask, again, if she’s okay.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just been thinking all day and–“ Nayeon plays with her hands before continuing, infecting Dahyun with some of that nervousness. “And I wanna know if I’m making Tzuyu uncomfy?”

 

Uncomfortable? Dahyun asks herself. What could she mean by that?

 

“I mean, I feel like I pushed that romantic assignment thing onto Tzuyu, but please let her know that she can tell me to stop at any time. I really like the two of you and I’d hate to make any of you feel weird. Also, before that, she– like, she ran away from me! Why? Her expression sours when I’m around, too, and...and she doesn’t talk much to me either. What did I do?” The genuine fear of this is evident in Nayeon’s deeply furrowed eyebrows as she speaks. Dahyun takes a second to appreciate her concern before placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

 

“It’s not that she’s…” Dahyun pauses to find the right words. Nayeon deserves to know what’s wrong, but the setting in which they’re in makes it hard to think. Students are brushing past her, talking in her ear without a second thought. “I don’t know how else to say it, I guess, but Tzuyu has walls up. She’s kind of against the idea that she should make new friends.”

 

Nayeon seems taken aback. Dahyun understands and listens as Nayeon asks why, and she’s about to answer, when the bell rings, signifying the start of the final class of the day. 

 

“I’ll tell you later,” Dahyun promises, and Nayeon nods, understanding that it can wait. “As soon as the dismissal bell rings, run to the flagpole.”

 

So why is Tzuyu so closed off? 

 

The answer can be traced back to Dahyun and Tzuyu’s elementary school days, actually. Quite far, indeed.

 

They both had a friend named Chaeyoung, and together, the three of them became the tiniest Three Musketeers ever, minus the absurdities and sword fights, up until four years ago, when Chaeyoung went missing.

 

It was all over the news. Every night for many nights, Chaeyoung’s face was plastered on every television screen in South Korea. She was a hot topic; ”Have you seen Son Chaeyoung, 14, dark brown eyes and black hair?” 

 

(Poor Tzuyu can’t watch the news anymore without shaking.)

 

Gone without a trace, they said, until a year later, when a body presumed to be Chaeyoung’s was found in a creek. The police weren't too sure about it though, but there were more kids missing, more every day, so, unjustly, it was settled like that. 

 

Of the two, Tzuyu is the only one that believes that the body is not Chaeyoung’s. 

 

“I see,” Nayeon says after patiently listening to Dahyun’s story. “That’s awful… But I don't understand? How is any of that related to me?” 

 

“Well, when we were younger, the three of us promised we would be ‘three forever’, and though Tzuyu knows it never meant only the three of us, she feels like it would be nice if Chaeyoung one day came back and saw that we never lost hope; never replaced her. Making new friends means, at least to her, making it easy to replace our friend.”

 

Dahyun waits for Nayeon’s reaction. It’s not going to be easy to digest it all, especially since it’s such a huge bomb to drop on her, the fact that this is all because of their dead/missing friend. 

 

Another beat of silence and Nayeon drops her head into her hands and groans loudly. “So this is my fault!”

 

“Huh?”

 

Nayeon has an exasperated expression plastered all over her face. “It’s my fault! Did she ever tell you what I said to her on the first day of school? ‘You can come to my house and we can practice there! And hey– maybe we can become the best of friends!’ On day ONE, Dahyun! I ed it up! I scared her away! ”

 

Dahyun’s frown breaks into a smile. “Yeah. Yeah, that might have been it. Explains why she ran away and acted like a rabid squirrel was chasing her.” After Nayeon cries out pathetically, Dahyun decides she’s had enough fun at Nayeon’s expense. “C’mon. There was no way for you to know the weight of your words.”

 

“Often– very often– I’m told I’m too forward. I never thought it would mess up my chances at making new friends ,” Nayeon mumbles weakly, like the realization that she’s her own worst enemy has drained her completely. “How do I let her know that Momo and I are just trying to be your friends and aren’t out to replace your missing friend?” 

 

Dahyun sees Nayeon mull it over seriously and it sets loose a storm of butterflies. She really cares, she thinks.

 

“I don’t know, Nayeon. You’re not the only one that’s tried. Every year I have to watch people try to get close to us but get scared off by the humongous walls Tzuyu puts up.” Dahyun sits next to Nayeon on the bench, expecting to see Momo and Tzuyu arrive soon.

 

“How do you cope?” Nayeon asks from between her hands. 

 

“Cope?”

 

“You seem more keen on making new friends than Tzuyu. I can see it on your face. So… how do you cope with this strange type of loneliness?”

 

Dahyun blinks. She’s different. Nayeon and Momo are different from the rest. 

 

“I dunno. At first,” Dahyun admits uncomfortably, “I didn’t. I was lonely, even with Tzuyu around, but I found that I couldn’t do much at all.”

 

“How so?”

 

Dahyun clears . This might be the first time she says this out loud. 

 

“Well. I was aware that I could easily make friends and simply not include Tzuyu in the circle. Again, she was the one that didn’t want to make new friends, not me, so that could work, in theory. But I couldn’t.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I loved Tzuyu too much to exclude her. Despite everything, I still wanted her to be in my circle. And for some silly reason, I resented her for that. Not anymore, obviously, but there were definitely dark days where I wished I didn’t feel that way.”

 

Nayeon settles her hands between her thighs, pressing them tightly. Dahyun harboring those types of feelings against Tzuyu must sound so strange to her.

 

“Now, I do a lot of things to cope, to really answer your question. I journal,” Dahyun says to Nayeon. “I write out my feelings, diary-style, in a notebook. I listen to music, and most importantly, I cope thanks to Tzuyu.” Dahyun spots Tzuyu round the corner of their school. Tzuyu sees the two girls sit on the bench in front of the flagpole and smiles widely, showing off her braces. “Despite that resentment, Tzuyu has always shown me her love and has been the bestest friend anyone could ask for. Without any of those three factors, I would have chewed my own arm off by now.”

 

Nayeon laughs at Dahyun’s joke as Dahyun tries to keep a serious face.

 

“Still,” Dahyun says quickly before Tzuyu is within earshot. “I hope this changes. I don’t wanna be selfish! I want others to experience what it’s like to be best friends with an angel on Earth.” With that, Dahyun runs to Tzuyu and jumps into her arms. The taller girl is clearly confused by the sudden display of affection, but spins her in circles anyway, a grin making an appearance, growing bigger with each spin.

 

Nayeon watches from the bench, a lump forming in .

 

ACT II

 

From a respectful distance, Nayeon asks Tzuyu one more time if she’s really, truly okay with the scene. 

 

“If anything at all makes you uncomfortable, just say the word. The kissing scene where we touch cheeks might be too much and I totally get it! We’ll scrap that !”

 

Tzuyu is sitting on the corner of Nayeon’s queen bed, flustered from all the attention she’s getting. Dahyun recognizes the facial expression: Tzuyu appreciates this more than she’s letting on. 

 

“It’s fine, actually,” Tzuyu begins, and then quickly tacks on “During the– the kissing scene, I can smell your perfume. It’s really nice, so I don’t mind.” She rushes through that sentence, but Nayeon pays that no mind. 

 

“It’s Momo’s perfume actually,” she chirps, and Momo jumps up and hands Tzuyu a scribbled note with the perfume brand and everything. 

 

“So,” Nayeon huffs, looking glad that nothing was making Tzuyu uncomfy, “Let’s finish practicing, huh?”

 

The run-through goes as well as it could, and as the two high school juniors begin to pack up to go home, Nayeon stiffly approaches them. “Would you girls like to stay a little longer?” Nayeon proceeds to tell them that her younger sister is an aspiring chef and that she makes really good food. If they want, they can try her best yet: a special braised pork with tons of side dishes.

 

“No thank you. We should get going,” Tzuyu says, and immediately, her stomach growls like a monster under the bed. Nayeon laughs lightheartedly and offers to give them the braised pork in containers to take home. 

 

They may have played it cool, but as they leave, Dahyun sees the disappointment in the older girls’ faces. Kudos to them for hiding it so well until now.

 

In one hand, Dahyun holds the food container. In the other, she holds Tzuyu’s warm hand. The taller girl has been quiet the whole walk home. Dahyun asks what’s on her mind.

 

“Nothing. Well– I guess I was just thinking about how thoughtful Nayeon is.”

 

“For the scene or for the pork?” 

 

Tzuyu smiles. “Yeah.”

 

Dahyun laughs and pulls Tzuyu closer to ruffle her hair.

 

 

Dahyun slips into Nayeon and Tzuyu’s classroom just in time to see Mrs. Woo call the two to the front of the room.

 

Spotting Momo near the front, Dahyun finds herself a spot next to her and grins back when the blonde grins excitedly. 

 

The presentation goes smoothly, and the class seems enraptured by Nayeon’s acting abilities, but are ultimately outshined by two girls who perform Act III Scene IV of Hamlet with a horror concept. Nayeon and Tzuyu don’t seem to mind at all, Dahyun sees, as Nayeon nudges Tzuyu every now and then and Tzuyu nudges her right back. They continue to smile at each other, thankful to one another that they did well. 

 

The four girls stand by the flagpole, dead silence between them. 

 

Momo is the first to break it, brave girl. “You girls did great! I’m glad I asked Mr. Ok to let me skip class to watch you.”

 

“Yeah,” Nayeon says, a little out of it. “It was super cool knowing you two. Uhm, take care of yourselves.” 

 

“See you guys around?” Momo asks, walking backwards and waving her hand. They’re about to leave, Dahyun realizes, and feels utterly sick. She really liked getting to know the two older girls and had been imagining them all becoming friends and hanging out.

 

All of that was dying with the sight of them leaving. Momo looks back once more and mouths see ya! before going...wherever they’re going. Probably to Nayeon’s house.

 

Dahyun bites her lip and turns away, ready to head home and write about it when Tzuyu tugs on her sleeve. Dahyun turns on her heel to see why Tzuyu would do that when she hears the brunette say “Hey! Wait!”

 

Nayeon and Momo don’t hear her, so Tzuyu tugs on Dahyun’s sleeve again and together they run behind the seniors. Dahyun’s heart is beating like crazy as they reach them.

 

“Hey!” Tzuyu says again, and spooked, Nayeon turns. Momo smiles a hello, and Tzuyu looks at Dahyun for a second, then says “I… We- we can’t just say goodbye like this, right? Why don’t we...celebrate?”

 

“Celebrate?” Nayeon mirrors Dahyun’s surprise. 

 

Tzuyu nods. “We did really well. I think that’s a cause for celebration. Why don’t we go to Soul G’s Ice Cream Parlor and– and grab a bite?”

 

“Hell yeah!” Momo jumps in, loving the idea just as much as anyone else.

 

Nayeon smiles widely, the realization that their goodbye was postponed hitting her like a truck. “I like the sound of that. We’d love to.”

 

They’re walking home, each girl happy and full from eating their fill of ice cream. 

 

(Well... not Momo. She’s not full and one can tell by the extra double-scoop chocolate chip cone in her hand and by the way she any drops that try to escape.)

 

The sky is purple and orange, a powerful mix of colors that speaks to Nayeon and fills her with enough confidence to speak what’s been on her mind since they left Soul G’s.

 

“I really like you girls, you know. I know we’ve only really known each other for two months, or in Momo’s case, a week , but I’d like to hang out with you two more! Momo and I keep talking about you two and how cute you are! We’d like to be–“ Nayeon stops herself. Careful. “We’d like to get to know you guys and maybe hang out more. If that’s okay with you.”

 

Dahyun’s heart lurches and she turns to Tzuyu excitedly. Tzuyu, in turn, looks at Dahyun with so much fear that Dahyun’s heart sinks this time. Tzuyu’s eyes travel down and stay down, as if searching for something on the asphalt.

 

So she leaves the choice to Dahyun.

 

Dahyun, tugging on her silver locks, remembers the conversation she had with Nayeon. I want others to know what it’s like to be best friends with an angel on Earth! Next, she thinks back to Tzuyu, and how her attitude has changed toward Nayeon, mainly, in such a short amount of time, and the way her best friend smiles a little brighter when Momo smiles first.

 

And she makes the choice.

 

“This... won’t be the last time we hang out,” she says, not making any promises. She hopes it’s the best choice, and by Tzuyu’s shy, subtle smile, it just might be.

 

 

They see each other sometimes, meeting up for ice cream at Soul G’s every now and then and at Nayeon’s, where they watch the scariest of movies to try and get a reaction from Tzuyu.

 

(They don’t.)

 

It’s not as often as they want, but it’s enough that they get to know each other more, little by little. Dahyun really likes this.

 

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t celebrate my birthday’?”

 

“It’s exactly what it means, Nayeon. I don’t! Now stop eating my chips!”

 

Nayeon frowns and crinkles her nose as she chews the chip already in . Dahyun tries to ignore the fact that she’s talking with full as Nayeon says “Well, would it bother you if we did this year? C’mon, I promise Momo and I are the coolest and most thoughtful gift givers ever!”

 

Dahyun smacks Nayeon’s hand as she tries to sneak another chip and thinks about Nayeon’s proposal. She doesn’t have anything against celebrating her birthday, actually. She just never does it because there was never really a need or desire to. If the two older girls wanted to throw her a small party, who was she to deny them that pleasure? “Sure. I mean, no– I wouldn’t mind. Go ahead.”

 

Dahyun isn’t even finished talking when Nayeon fishes her phone out of her purse. “Momo,” Nayeon says out loud as she texts, “Dahyun...said...yes. Let’s...start...preparing for it.” She smirks at Dahyun as she sends the text. “Thanks, Dahyun. You won’t regret it, I promise.”

 

Dahyun isn’t sure how she could possibly ever end up regretting letting those two throw her a party, but she thanks her anyway and pulls out her own phone to invite her best friend.

 

Tzuyu replies in less than a second.

 

tzu <3 : hmmmmmmm sounds great! I do believe I can find it within my schedule to attend :)

 

Dahyun snorts, and spends the next five minutes wrestling Nayeon, who wants to see what made her junior chuckle.

 

Tzuyu leads the way as the two high school juniors enter the local pizza arcade. 

 

It’s a cool retro-themed place, a little campy, sure, but the effort is appreciated. There are teenagers of all types hanging around the place, some playing the games, some loitering near the neon lights, and some just enjoying the food the place has to offer. 

 

It’s dark as they walk around, but Dahyun finds the two older girls easily. They’re sitting at a booth near the back, two sets of five balloons floating above them. The balloons all say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ♡” on them and they’re all Dahyun’s favorite color: lavender. Next to them there are two cute little present bags which Dahyun can only guess are for her.

 

As they approach, Dahyun can hear them squabbling over where they should place the single candle on the cake.

 

“No, Momo, it needs to go perfectly in the center. Otherwise it’ll look weird!”

 

“But if we put it in the middle it’ll ruin the letters the baker worked so hard to write! Let’s put it at the front, Nay.”

 

Dahyun clears to let them know she’s arrived and the two jump up in surprise. Rising from their seats, they let Dahyun sit wherever she wants, and when they’re all sitting, Dahyun and Tzuyu on one side and the two seniors on the other, Nayeon pushes the presents toward Dahyun.

 

“ Normally we’d eat first and then open the presents, but Nayeon and I are kinda excited to see you open them,” Momo explains, the aforementioned excitement evident in her tone. Her grin is wide and her body is vibrating.

 

Tzuyu looks at the presents Nayeon and Momo got for Dahyun and gasps lightly. It’s clear she’s touched by their thoughtfulness.

 

Dahyun opens the first gift and it’s a five-pack brand of really good pens plus a journal. The journal is leather bound and when she opens it, she finds it has an inscription inside the front cover.

 

To Dahyunnie

From Nayeonnie

Since writing is one of your escapes <3

 

Dahyun grins at Nayeon. “You actually listened to my rambling?”

 

“Of course I did!” Nayeon screams, offended! “I always do!”

 

“Open mine! Open mine!” Momo interrupts, knowing that if they let her, Nayeon the drama queen would drag this on forever.

 

Dahyun grabs the second bag and pulls out a pair of earphones, the kind that completely cancel out noise. 

 

“Tzuyu and I got to talking one time and she told me you love to listen to music, so of course I got you those. Maybe you can listen to music as you write down your feelings,” Momo explains, the brightness in her eyes not at all drowned out by the darkness around them.

 

Dahyun’s eyes shoot lasers in Tzuyu’s direction. “Tzuyu? You knew about this?”

 

Tzuyu surprises Dahyun by winking and leaning forward onto the table in a cocky manner. “Who do you think arranged this?”

 

Dahyun’s eyes nearly explode out of her eye sockets. “ You planned this?”

 

Nayeon waves her hands to attract their attention. “She sure did! And let me tell you, I damn near had a heart attack! She texted me! I thought it was a mistake at first, but soon enough we were planning your birthday party!”

 

“C’mon, didn’t you find Nayeon even a little suspicious when she prodded you about it?” Momo asks, secretly placing the candle in a spot where the baker’s handiwork wouldn’t go to waste.

 

Dahyun sits back and can’t seem to wipe the stupid grin off her face. Never in a million years would she have thought that Tzuyu would reach out to Nayeon and Momo to plan an impromptu birthday party.

 

Dahyun looks at her two presents, her three friends, and feels a surge of happiness. 

 

They dig into the small cake and finish it all in no time. Just when Dahyun thinks it’s over, Momo reaches into her purse and pulls out four game cards, the currency of the pizza arcade. “Soooo… Wanna play?” she asks Dahyun, who snatches one as a response. 

 

“Do I wanna play? Of course I do! Bet you I can beat you at the boxing arcade machine, Hirai!” Dahyun challenges, feeling a bit of the sugar rush joining the rush of being so appreciated.

 

Happy, they all jump out of their seats and go around the arcade, playing whatever their hearts desire. 

 

Dahyun is in the middle of playing a game when she suddenly thinks of looking for Tzuyu. She worries for a moment, keeping in mind Tzuyu’s preference for quiet spaces, when she spots Tzuyu playing skeeball next to a cheering Nayeon. She keeps missing, every single time, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the way Nayeon is shouting her name excitedly.

 

She hears someone step close and turns to find Momo, who just finished beating a grown man at an arcade basketball game. She doesn’t look like she worked up a sweat at all.

 

“Heya, birthday girlie. Don’t you worry your little head. Nayeon’s taking care of her. Relax and have fun.”

 

Dahyun looks back once more. Nayeon is playing skeeball now as Tzuyu watches, and she’s making every single shot.

 

“Okay,” she sighs contentedly, the serene expression slowly morphing into a devilish one. “So...that boxing game I mentioned?”

 

Momo returns the expression easily and flexes. “You’re on. But I gotta warn you, I’m pretty strong!”

 

Walking home from the pizza arcade, Dahyun spies a huge smile on Tzuyu’s face. In one of her hands is Dahyun’s own, and in the other, a stuffed puppy. (Nayeon won approximately nine thousand tickets and gave them all to Tzuyu so she could get the toy. It reaches Dahyun’s waist, it’s so long.)

 

“Did you have fun, Tzu?”

 

Tzuyu’s smile turns shy, and she nods. 

Her taller friend says nothing for a while, so they walk in silence for a bit. It seems like she’s thinking about something, so Dahyun lets her find the words. 

 

After a while, Tzuyu finally speaks up.

 

“Do you really think Chaeyoung wouldn’t mind? I mean– well, you know what I mean…”

 

Dahyun thinks about what Tzuyu said and what it means, then answers carefully. “Oh, Tzuyu, of course she wouldn’t mind. Chaeyoung was the most extroverted out of the three of us. I’m sure that our friend circle would have gone from just us three to way more thanks to her.” Dahyun squeezes Tzuyu’s hand for reassurance before continuing. “When we promised it would be the three of us forever, it didn’t mean ‘and shut everyone else out’. It just meant that no matter what, even if our new friends abandoned us, the three of us would stick together.”

 

Tzuyu kicks a rock as she thinks about Dahyun’s words. “Really?”

 

She nods enthusiastically. “I know it.”

 

A sigh escapes Tzuyu’s lips. Dahyun wonders if her younger friend knew all this and needed to hear it from someone else, or if she really didn’t think about it that way. Either way, it seems like Tzuyu likes her answer, because her expression turns peaceful again.

 

“Did you?” Tzuyu says suddenly. “I mean, did you have fun?”

 

“Yeah,” Dahyun says, thinking back at the two older girls and how much they showed they cared about her and Tzuyu. “You girls planned everything so well, and it made me feel so good inside. I really like them, Tzu. I haven’t had this much fun since… well, since forever.”

 

“Did I ever hold you back?” Tzuyu asks, almost randomly. Almost because Dahyun knows that her words inspired that question.

 

“From what?” Dahyun asks innocently.

 

“From making friends. I scared everyone off, right? Like in a ‘Ooh, scary robot girl with no feelings, let’s not be friends with her or her short friend’ way.”

 

Dahyun bites back the desire to deny the height comment, but that’s not important right now. “Can I be honest?”

 

“Of course you can.”

 

“At first, I did. I blamed you. I really believed it was you keeping me from making friends.” 

 

Tzuyu bites her lip, digging her teeth in deeply. She holds the puppy impossibly close to her chest as she asks “And now?”

 

“And now,” Dahyun pulls Tzuyu closer, wrapping an arm around the taller girl’s waist, “I understand that I was just bitter from the pain of loss. You know, from losing Chaeng. I realized I could have made friends if I wanted to. No one was stopping me, really. So, to answer your question, no. You never held me back. And now look– we have Momo and Nayeon. What more do we need?”

 

After dropping Tzuyu off, Dahyun trudges to her own home, her feet a little sore from walking in the arcade and then all the way home. 

 

Dahyun enters her room, and instead of plopping down on her bed, she sits at her desk. Carefully taking her birthday presents out of their bags, she hums. 

 

She writes in her new journal with her new pens under the dim yellow light of her desk lamp for a while, but tires eventually. Dahyun closes the leather bound gift and opens the drawer next to her leg. In it are four journals, all neatly labeled with the same title and different numbers. She proceeds to label Nayeon’s gift similarly.

 

To Chaeyoung ☆ Y# 5

 

Finished, she puts the journal in the drawer. She tries to ignore the creeping sadness by unboxing Momo’s gift. The earphones work perfectly, and soon, Dahyun is sleeping to sweet tunes, her troubles forgotten for the moment.

 

Dahyun’s hands tremble. 

 

She reads the text again, her brain refusing to process it at all. Does– does that really say what she thinks it says?

 

tzu <3: hey 

tzu <3: lets……...celebrate my birthday 

tzu <3: all four of us? pls text them

 

 

After the third read, she realizes she hasn’t responded yet and that she has her read receipts on, so it looks like she left Tzuyu on read. She sends a quick “OK!!!!!” and switches to a chat with Nayeon.

 

hyunnie: HWY

hyunnie: **HEY

hyunnie: Tzuyu wants to celebrate her birthday with me and you girls. Got any plans tomorrow?

 

Dahyun hopes the older girls reply soon, because Tzuyu’s birthday is tomorrow.

 

And of course, in only a few moments she gets a response from Nayeon (and, by default, Momo):

 

yeonnie: NO?!?!?!?!?!?!??

yeonnie: when&where

 

Dahyun looks out of her window, for a moment unsure of where the impromptu party should be held. They should probably not go back to the arcade since it’s only been a few weeks since Dahyun’s birthday. Wouldn’t want to get bored of visiting the place so soon. 

 

So where?

 

Dahyun bites her thumb, trying to figure it out, when it hits her.

 

It’s a hot day at the park, but the wind blows just enough to keep it from becoming unbearable. Too bad it keeps taking Tzuyu’s balloons!

 

Nayeon mutters under her breath as she chases the four balloons around, the wind playing around with her and taking them far away.

 

Tzuyu watches her with amusement in her eyes as Momo cuts the cake. 

 

Dahyun observes silently, a peaceful wave washing over her. What’s better than this? Nayeon being adorkable, chasing after balloons that don’t really matter, Tzuyu watching her, laughing instead of helping her, and Momo singing the birthday song at the top of her lungs as she serves the blue cake?

 

Nothing, Dahyun thinks as she gratefully takes a plate from Momo.

 

The presents the (now graduated) seniors got Tzuyu are unexpected but thoughtful nonetheless. Momo got her a pair of cute pink roller skates (“You look like you could be one of those Tik Tokers that skate down the street and get, like, tons of likes!”) and Nayeon gifts her a book Tzuyu is missing from her favorite book collection. Tzuyu’s smile is as big as the slice she just finished eating, and it’s just as sweet, Dahyun thinks. 

 

“Where’s your present?” Tzuyu jokes at Dahyun, and her smug smile turns into a fearful one when Dahyun pulls out four full water guns.

 

“Right here, kiddo!”

 

To the random passerby walking her dog, it just looks like four young women squealing and pushing each trying to avoid a squirt of cold water, but to those girls, it’s something more.

 

It’s true friendship at last.

 

When late afternoon arrives, the four girls gather around again and start putting away all of their things, cleaning up any mess they made.

 

Tzuyu’s smile hasn’t shrunk even a bit, even that time when Momo got her right in the eye. “Thanks,” she says, her voice steadfast and full of happiness. Her hair sways in the breeze as the pink scrunchie struggles to hold it together. She pauses for a moment, as if feeling the wind, or savoring the next words before saying them. “I had a lot of fun, and it’s definitely the best one I’ve ever had.”

 

Nayeon looks at Momo, a message passing between them, and Nayeon scratches her nose nervously. “I’m really glad– we, me and Momo, we’re both glad. Thanks for letting us celebrate it with you.” Momo nods, her blonde hair bouncing around. 

 

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I spend it with...my friends?”

 

Despite the air still being warm, the words send a chill up Dahyun’s spine and goosebumps all over her arms and legs. She said the word . THE word. 

 

“And I can’t wait to spend it with you girls again in the years to come,” Tzuyu continues, the boldness she displayed earlier dissipating. She’s looking at the cement floor now, a little shy. Dahyun’s heart warms, and she looks to the two older girls, expecting their faces to look excited, or at least relieved, but she only sees worry in them.

 

“What’s up?” Dahyun asks, and Momo elbows Nayeon. Something’s up, and it can’t be good. Was that cloud always there, covering up the sun? Tzuyu looks up then, wondering why the girls look so nervous suddenly too.

 

Nayeon speaks up. “Oh, well– that sounds great Tzuyu. Hopefully I come back around the summertime to celebrate your and Dahyun’s birthday.”

 

“What do you mean?” the youngest asks.

 

“She’s going to university. To Seoul,” Momo interjects, her big eyes bigger than usual. 

 

“Oh,” Tzuyu says, and then stiffens. A white-hot stream of pain shoots up Dahyun’s spine. “Oh,” she repeats, this time more upbeat. “That’s so cool! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things weird. I– I think that visiting us for our birthdays would be great!”

 

Tzuyu starts tugging on her ear nervously, Dahyun notices. She’s upset, but doesn’t want to show it.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it! It wasn’t awkward, I just felt bad about dropping the news just now!” Nayeon’s nervous smile makes it sound less honest, but no one points it out. “But yeah! I’m leaving… hmm. When am I leaving?”

 

“You’re leaving the first day of August,” Momo helps.

 

“Right! Two months, give or take.”

 

“Okay,” Tzuyu says, her face twitching in an attempt to smile, “Then we can just text while you’re gone. Momo, give me your number! Let’s make one big group chat for the four of us!”

 

“Speaking of Momo,” Dahyun looks at the older girl. “What about you? Are you going to Seoul too?”

 

Momo pouts slightly as she watches Nayeon and Tzuyu exchange glances. “Nah. I’m taking care of my grandma for a while. I’ll still be here!”

 

Dahyun watches Tzuyu’s expression shift. It relaxes, but not too much. Her eyes are becoming watery. Before the older girls notice, Dahyun shouts to divert their attention to her. “That’s good! Nayeon, the three of us will be waiting for you during the breaks! You’ll come visit, right? Not just on our birthdays?”

 

“Of course! We can hang out while I’m in town!”

 

“See,” Dahyun whispers to an unsmiling Tzuyu. She must’ve given up trying to fake it. “She’ll be back, eventually.” 

 

“Okay. Yeah,” she says, like she’s shaking herself awake. “Have fun in Seoul!”

 

Nayeon laughs as she stuffs their paper plates into a trash can. “I’m not leaving now! Like I said, it’s probably not happening until a couple months! You’re stuck with me for at least that long!”

 

Dahyun pretends not to notice the styrofoam cup in Tzuyu’s hands break in half. 

 

Dahyun finishes writing in the journal and happens to look at her phone at the perfect time: she finally got a text back from Tzuyu. She carefully places the journal in its spot before checking said text.

 

tzu <3: AAAAA

tzu <3: i didn’t even see your texts!!!! sorry!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Dahyun chuckles and texts back.

 

tofu baby: That’s fine! Where were you though? You don’t usually do that

tzu <3: oh.

tzu <3: i was hanging out with nayeon..

 

Dahyun’s eyebrows raise. So she was with Nayeon? She sets her phone down, taking in the words. Tzuyu is hanging out with Nayeon. Without her. Just the two of them, hanging out and enjoying each other’s presence.

 

Dahyun searches deep within herself, and no, there are no feelings of jealousy. Instead, she feels her heart grow lighter. Tzuyu has gone from someone who refused to hang out with anyone except Dahyun to someone who’s spent the whole day with Nayeon!

 

She smiles as she picks up her phone and sends another text.

 

tofu baby: CUTE I hope you two had fun 

tzu <3: i didn’t think i would but… it really was super fun. it was scary at first. i’ve never gone anywhere without you :(

 

And that was the kicker for Dahyun. For four years, Tzuyu has been clinging onto Dahyun and Dahyun only. The trust Tzuyu felt toward Nayeon was clear.

 

tofu baby: I’m proud of you. ily <333

tofu baby: So are you hanging out with her because of what she said last week? That she’s leaving?

tzu <3: yeah. i’ve been thinking and feeling things suddenly. 

tofu baby: What things?

tzu <3: hmmmmmmmmmmm

tzu <3: you know, i’m actually not sure yet. i’ll let you know when i get it sorted out.

 

ACT III

 

Tzuyu sorts it out on the day Nayeon is to leave.

 

They’re at Dahyun’s house watching a movie. Well, Dahyun is watching the movie. Tzuyu has been squirming so much that the silver-haired girl is sure that she hasn’t caught a single line of the movie. 

 

Dahyun pauses it, facing Tzuyu. Tzuyu notices the paused movie and stops squirming just long enough to ask Dahyun a question. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes travel from the television screen to Dahyun’s curious eyes.

 

“Tell me whats going on,” Dahyun says simply. 

 

Tzuyu’s jaw ticks, and she starts pulling on her ear. “What do you mean? Nothing is going on.” She avoids Dahyun’s eyes and instead decides to look at the older girl’s duvet.

 

“You haven’t sat still for one minute since I started playing the movie. You’re pulling on your ear. You’re avoiding looking at me. Tzuyu, something is happening, and I want you to know that you can talk to me.”

 

Disarmed, Tzuyu stares at Dahyun. She’s been caught. It takes a moment, but Tzuyu lets it all out.

 

“Remember how I told you I’ve been thinking things? And feeling things? Well, I’ve finally figured it out.”

 

Dahyun raises her eyebrows, as if to say go on. 

 

“I’m– I... I have a crush on Nayeon.”

 

Dahyun plays it cool despite the questions that want to bubble out of her. “For how long?”

 

“For some time now. Before your birthday, when I was talking to Momo and Nayeon, trying to make your party happen. Nayeon was…” Tzuyu sighs then, and Dahyun notices the way she her lips. must be dry from talking so much all of a sudden. “She was so excited to throw you a party. She was so into it, kept talking about how she couldn’t wait to see your happy face. It woke something inside me, I’m guessing. I said nothing, though. Not until I was sure.” Tzuyu’s eyes water up, the same way they did after Nayeon revealed she was leaving for university. “I shouldn’t have waited… God, Dahyun.”

 

Dahyun holds Tzuyu as she gasps for breaths in between little sobs.

 

“She’s leaving today. I feel so sick.”

 

Dahyun fights tears too and barely manages to ask “Why didn’t you tell me? You said you’d let me know when you figured it out.”

 

“I’m afraid, Dahyun! I’ve been spending these last few weeks alone with Nayeon and she’s seemed so excited to finally be able to call me her friend. What if that’s all she wants?”

 

“So you haven’t said anything to her?” Dahyun’s words aren’t judging, but soft and full of understanding. Still, Tzuyu flinches and nods. 

 

“I can’t. What good will it do? She might not like me like that. She’s leaving today anyway... Me telling her I like her might make things awkward for the both of us if she doesn’t feel the same. And if she does...well, it’s not like she’s gonna put everything on pause for me. I wouldn’t allow it either.”

 

Dahyun rubs Tzuyu’s shoulder. It’s clear she’s been thinking about it a lot. Perhaps a bit too much. Overthinking does things to you.

 

“It wouldn’t hurt to try and tell her. You might be surprised. C’mon. She said she found you attractive during the Hamlet practice, did she not?” Dahyun racks her brain for the exact words she said. “ ‘It’s not hard to act like I find my guardmate attractive when the teacher assigned me to the prettiest girl in class. ’ Remember that?”

 

Tzuyu swallows thickly. “Could she have meant–?”

 

Dahyun grabs Tzuyu’s phone and places it in her hand. “Maybe. And hey, if she doesn’t feel the same, I don’t think anything will be ruined between you two. Nayeon has fought hard to become your friend. She wouldn’t let this mess everything up. So try.”

 

Tzuyu grips the phone tightly.

“Dahyun… You know confessions never go well for me…”

 

“Tzuyu, please. I don’t want you to regret this one. And I know you will.”

 

“How?”

 

Dahyun smiles as much as she can. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been best friends since elementary school. I know you like the back of my hand,” Dahyun teases as her phone buzzes on her bedside table. 

 

Slowly she pulls away from Tzuyu’s tangle of arms and legs to check who’s calling. 

 

“Hey, look! Momo’s calling!” Dahyun says, showing Tzuyu. 

 

“Why would she be calling?” Tzuyu asks, sniffling a little. “She’s with Nayeon at the airport.”

 

“Maybe she forgot something,” Dahyun says as she answers the call. “Hello? ”

 

“Heya, Dahyunnie! It’s Momo!”

 

Dahyun chuckles. “I know. What’s up?”

 

“A lot, that’s what’s up. How are you two?”

 

“We’re fine,” Dahyun says, unsure of where this conversation is going. 

 

“Cool. So. uh. I know this is last minute but can you guys come to the airport?” Momo asks. 

 

“What?” 

 

“Nayeon’s freaking out right now. She says she didn’t really get to say goodbye to you two! So come!”

 

“Come?!” Dahyun asks aloud, attracting Tzuyu’s attention. “Why? And how? The airport is more than an hour away. Doesn’t her plane come around that time?”

 

There’s a shuffling sound on Momo’s end. “I think it would mean the world to Nayeon. She’s cheesy, you know this. A gesture like this would be nice.”

 

“But how?”

 

“I dunno. I’m not god. Love will work it’s miracles! See you soon!”

 

Momo hangs up like nothing, leaving a dumbfounded Dahyun with her phone still to her ear. Tzuyu gives her a questioning look. 

 

“Momo said we should go to the airport. Nayeon is freaking out,” Dahyun says the words slowly, making sense of them even now. “We’re postponing your confession for a bit. You can do it face-to-face now.”

 

“Now? But– we don’t have time!” Tzuyu looks distressed. “We don’t even have a car!”

 

“Do you think you could skate there really fast? Like, with Momo’s gift?” Dahyun asks, receiving a deadpan look from the brunette. 

 

“You’re joking, right?”

 

Dahyun laughs nervously. She wasn’t, but hey...

 

“Wait!” Dahyun says with a start. “Why is there a car outside my house?”

 

The two girls run to Dahyun’s window, and lo and behold, there’s a black sedan parked outside, right next to Dahyun’s mailbox. A blonde girl in black shades steps out of it, under her arm a giant white piece of cardboard. She holds it up, and on it, scrawled in really bad handwriting, are two names:

 

KIM DAHYUN

CHO TZUYU

 

Tzuyu gasps, and Dahyun nods, understanding how weird the situation is. 

 

“Sh-she spelled my name wrong!” Tzuyu cries.

 

Dahyun frowns. “Now you’re joking, right?”

 

Tzuyu, instead of answering her best friend, runs out of the room, presumably to ask what’s going on. Dahyun has no choice but to run after her.

 

“Hey!” Tzuyu calls, and the blonde driver smiles.

 

“Hi! Are you Tzuyu? This is an Uber from a young woman named Momo? She said you’d need a ride to the airport?” Her smile is friendly, but it’s still a little unsettling that she hasn’t taken her sunglasses off. 

 

“Yes, I am Tzuyu,” she says, just as Dahyun catches up to her, breathless from running downstairs.

 

The mysterious girl opens the door and waves inside. “Then hop in! Momo paid for the lift already!”

 

Dahyun and Tzuyu share a glance, but step in anyway. They’re desperate and in a hurry.

 

Ten minutes into the drive, Tzuyu is practically crawling up the car’s ceiling in anxiety. The mysterious driver is taking her time, going the speed limit and stopping for all train crossings. This is not cutting it for Tzuyu, who has an airport confession to make.

 

“Tell her to hurry up then!” Dahyun shouts.

 

“No!” Tzuyu shouts back, then pouts. “I’m shy.”

 

“Fine! I’ll do it!” And so Dahyun, with her seatbelt still on, leans forward and puts on her most charming smile. “Hey, Miss Driver Lady…”

 

The driver briefly looks at the rear view mirror and grins widely. “Hey Dahyun!”

 

“How do you know my name?”

 

The girl reaches over to the passenger seat and taps the sign with their names on it. “Also– we have a few classes together,” she adds, removing her shades.

 

“Jeongyeon?!” 

 

“Crazy how sunglasses change your entire look and disposition, huh?” Jeongyeon says with a quirk in her voice. “So, what do you need? Is it too hot back there?”

 

Suddenly she remembers what she leaned forward for. “Jeongyeon, is there any way you can make this ride shorter?”

 

“Sure. I can drive right off the highway and kill us—“

 

“No!” Dahyun shakes her head. “I mean, can you get us to the airport faster? Tzuyu, she’s– You see, there’s this girl...”

 

Jeongyeon holds up a hand to interrupt her. “Say no more,” she says confidently, and steps on the gas.

 

Tzuyu and Dahyun are glad they buckled up. Jeongyeon is making wild turns, taking this left and that right, exiting this highway to take a regular road before entering the highway again. Momentarily, Dahyun wonders if they had a better chance using Tzuyu’s skates when suddenly, she recognizes a building they whizzed by. 

 

“Tzuyu, we’re close!”

 

Tzuyu looks at her phone for the time, nervously playing with a lock of her hair. “I still don’t think we’ll be able to make it. I think her plane arrives soon.”

 

At that moment, Dahyun’s phone buzzes again. It’s Momo.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hi again! Are you guys on your way here?”

 

Dahyun glowers at nobody in particular. “Yeah! But it would have been nice if you’d told us about the Uber!”

 

“Ooops! Well you’re in on it now! How close are you?”

 

Dahyun peeks outside the window. There are a few buildings she recognizes, ones that are about ten minutes away from the airport (at normal speeds). She relays this to Momo, who claps on the other side of the line.

 

“Awesome! Because I have good news! Nayeon’s flight is delayed! Only for about another ten minutes, though, but that should be enough time. Be safe!” Momo says before hanging up.

 

We’ll try, Dahyun says inwardly as she looks at Jeongyeon, who’s driving like she’s in the Fast and Furious.

 

Meanwhile, Tzuyu is still freaking out. 

 

“What will I say? I jumped in the car without even thinking about the fact that I’ll have to tell her why I’m at the airport! It’s not like confessing to her face-to-face will make a real difference!”

 

“Tzuyu… Momo said it would make a difference to Nayeon. She probably really likes cheesy gestures like this,” Dahyun says, death grip on the handle above the door.

 

Tzuyu swallows audibly, then sits back and watches the road fearfully.

 

Jeongyeon might just be training to drive race cars, Dahyun thinks, because they get to the airport another 10 minutes later, a record time.

 

The girls spy Momo at the entrance. She waves them down and helps them out of the car. “That was quick! Anyway, let’s run! It’s a huge airport and we have twenty minutes left!”

 

Before they leave, Dahyun looks back once more at Jeongyeon. “Hey! Thanks! We owe you one!”

 

Jeongyeon salutes her mysteriously and leaves promptly.

 

It’s probably extremely rude to run in an airport, but Dahyun hopes nobody cares at that moment. They try to find the gate Nayeon is at in every twist and turn, only to be disappointed to see it’s not.

 

When they actually find Nayeon’s gate, they find the girl awkwardly leaning against one of the airport’s pillars. Momo runs to her first, enveloping her in a breathless hug.

 

“Momo! Where the hell did you go! You promised you wouldn’t leave me!” Nayeon scolds, not noticing Dahyun or Tzuyu yet.

 

“Sorry, Nay, but I can make it up to you! Look!”

 

Nayeon rolls her eyes. “I don’t think there’s anything that can pay the price of betr– Tzuyu?” She interrupts herself when she sees her standing there, at the same place as her, chest heaving from all the running. “And- and Dahyun? What are you two doing here?”

 

Dahyun turns to Tzuyu, gestures for her to step forward. She does, and nervously, Tzuyu tells Nayeon that she has a crush on her, that it was like a slow burn that, eventually, she couldn’t deny. Tzuyu tells Nayeon everything, leaving Nayeon a teary-eyed mess.

 

“I really like you too,” Nayeon says, grinning despite the tear that streaks down her left cheek. Tzuyu carefully wipes it. “I really, really do.”

 

Momo steps back and places a nervous arm around Dahyun, watching the events unfold. Dahyun hugs back tightly, awed by how emotionally honest Tzuyu is being.

 

“But I can’t cancel everything, Tzuyu. I’m sorry,” Nayeon says regretfully. “I’ve already accepted my invitation to the university. I’m really, really sorry.”

 

“Hey, no,” Tzuyu says, grabbing one of Nayeon’s hands. “I didn’t come here to force you to give up your future. I’m not like that. I want you to go. But– well, I guess I came here to say that, you know, when you’re finished with school and if you still...like me, if you still have feelings for me, I’ll be here. I’ll be waiting here for you.”

 

Nayeon is so close to just plain sobbing, she appreciates Tzuyu’s gesture so much. “ Doubt thou the stars are fire . Doubt that the sun doth move . Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love.”

 

Tzuyu groans and asks what that means.

 

“It means that of course I’ll still like you! Are you crazy? As soon as I can, I’ll come back here and sweep you off your feet!”

 

Tzuyu laughs and wraps her arms around Nayeon, kissing her cheek shyly and gently.

 

Momo is pouting, her eyes puffy and as watery as the girls’ in front of her. “God, I love romance,” her voice wobbles, then breaks as she lets herself cry a bit.

 

Dahyun hears footsteps next to her and spies Jeongyeon walking up to them. She still has her shades on.

 

“Hey, how’d it go? Did the confession turn out fine?” 

 

“It couldn’t have gone better,” Dahyun replies, a proud smile spreading across her lips.

 

Jeongyeon gives Momo, Dahyun and Tzuyu rides home, bless her.

 

Once she makes sure Tzuyu is home safely, Dahyun goes to her own home and sits at her desk, flipping the switch to her flimsy lamp. Out comes the special journal her friend Nayeon gave her, the pens that came with it, and next come the earphones Momo got her. Dahyun plugs them into her phone.

 

After putting on some of her favorite music, she pauses and digs into the drawer she got her journal from and pulls out another, this one a composition book that’s seen better years. On the spine, it has the words To Chaeyoung ☆ Y#1.

 

She contemplates whether she should open it or not and decides ‘ Why not?’ It’s a good day to look back, right? Especially after today’s events.

 

She opens the journal to the first page, and Dahyun laughs, despite herself. Four years and her handwriting has definitely improved. She reads the first few entries, the memories placing Dahyun in a different state of mind.

 

 

Hey Chaeng. I was told to write in this for therapy reasons! So I will! Hopefully soon you come back and I’ll feel silly about writing this! ^^ I miss you a lot! You’ve only been gone for a month but I kind of miss your whiny voice! (Just kidding I’m sorry it’s very cute!) hahahaha hopefully I will talk to you soon! I’ll go now because I don’t know what else to write!

 

Dahyun sighs deeply and skips forward to one of the last pages of the journal.

 

It’s officially been exactly six months and I’m almost done with the journal. I’ve written more than I thought I would, can you believe that? Today, Tzuyu broke down during lunch. She didn’t finish the kimchi she had in and started choking on it. I didn’t help her. I didn’t know what to do when I heard her confess that you ran away because she told you she had a crush on you. She feels like it’s her fault you might be dead. It’s not, right? It’s not her fault you ran. I don’t know. I’m babbling now. It’s late and I need to sleep for exams tomorrow. I love you and I miss you lots.

 

She bites her lip, the emotions she felt four years ago as she wrote this flooding back. She pushes them down, however, because she wants to write today before passing out on her bed.

 

Dahyun picks up the pen Nayeon gave her and turns up the music.

 

Hey, Chaeyoung! Hey, bro! You wouldn’t believe what happened today! It’s been so crazy and I was itching all day to go home and write to you! Our Tzu is all grown up now, and she's taken such a huge step…

 

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