A small creature can be seen strolling around in a vast field of white lilies. Her head can be seen peeking out from the tall flowers, protruding ears visible in between the long tresses of black hair. She looks up, taking in the scenery of the infinite blue sky void of any clouds, her head empty from any thoughts. It was silent, but a good kind of silence for her.

Then, she heard a sound, her long ears perking up.

She turns her head to the source, catching small movements near a single oak tree that miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Intrigued, she slowly trudges nearer without making any noise. Her eyebrows lifted from the sight of a raccoon too engrossed in digging, it didn’t realize her presence. She moves closer, finding the fur glistening with bright yellowish colour striped with black.

What an unusual colour, she mused to herself.

Upon closer inspection, the raccoon wasn’t actually digging, but cooking over a small fireplace. She recognized the sound of metal pot and utensils clanging together, along with the sizzling sound of boiling oil. Her nose twitches, catching the wafting smell of fried eggs and mixture of condiments. She can hear another prominent sound amongst them all; a happy humming of “What is love?” by the nation girl group of South Korean.

The raccoon suddenly turns around, presenting a perfectly plated omurice. There was writing of ketchup over it, a cute heart circling over two sets of letter M. 

“Here you go!”

She was startled, thinking the raccoon was talking to her, only to find a brown penguin waddling past her side, eagerly flapping its flippers before taking the plate. She was expecting the plate to topple over, but somehow, the penguin is balancing the plate remarkably well while making a small twirl to show its gratitude.

“Thank you, Momoring.”

“Just a thank you?”

The penguin sheepishly rubs its cheek, before leaving a peck with its beak. The raccoon wiggles happily, its bushy tail wrapping the penguin in an embrace before they share a seat on a bench. She feels at ease with the sight, thinking how great it would be if there's bread to munch on right now while watching the pair of weird but ideally compatible animals.

“What are you talking about? There’s plenty of bread to feast on!”

She blinked, not sure how the raccoon can read her mind.

“Of course I can read your mind, you made me able to.”

She scratched her unitchy head, a finger pointing to herself.

“Yeah! Because you’re Yoda!”

A what now? 

Before she could ask more, the raccoon had already pulled her to the bench. Again, breads of all kinds suddenly poofed out in the middle of nowhere, making a hill over the picnic table. She gave them a curious look, the penguin letting out a silent giggle while the raccoon widely grins.

“Sa-tan told us you’re a Yoda! We can converse telepathically. Right, Mitang?”

“Mm!”

Satan…? Are we talking about the devil?

Just then, a shrilling shout came from the distance.

“Yahhh! Why didn’t you wait for me??”

“Speak of the devil.” The penguin murmured, only to widen her eyes at the approaching fluffy dog running towards them, tongue hanging from its open mouth.

“Oh, no… a ball of sunshine incoming!” The penguin wears a shade to cover its eyes from the approaching dog that seems to exude bright glittering brown fur, while the blonde raccoon leaps on her back, pulling her arms wide open.

“Yoda, brace for the impact!”

Wait, what - ooff!

The ball of sunshine pummels onto her body, her outstretched arms cushioning the impact as they automatically wrap over the fluffy shiba-inu currently her face with excitement. She should be disgusted, but she wasn’t. Instead, she lets out a giggle from the ticklish sensation before squishing the chubby cheeks to stop its attack.

“Yah, Chewy!” The shiba pouts, “Why didn’t you run?”

Her eyebrow lifted, “Run from what?”

“The bees!”

“Uh, what now?”

Her long, protruding ears twitched. She can hear the sound of buzzing from afar, slowly getting closer. She turns around, finding the blue sky swarming with an army of bees approaching them. Just as she whips around to warn them, her vision turns dark. 

There were noises, of shouting and bickering, of familiar voices she knew so well.

“This is all your fault!”

“You shouldn’t be here!”

“You should have just left.”

“Things would be better if you never come.”

“I’m tired of watching over you.”

“I need you but you’re never there!”

She closed her eyes, hands blocking her ears, trying to drown the words shouting, buzzing all over her head, but her lips were only mouthing one word.

Sorry...

Then, the voices stop.

She fell down. 

Her body plunges into a deep abyss, her hands flailing to grab on to something. She wants to scream, but nothing comes out of , stuck… until she falls on something hard. 

 

“OOMPH!”

 

Her eyes snapped open. 

She scans the familiar surroundings of her room, a hand rubbing the sore spot of her head. Her cheek begins to buzz again, and she groans. She takes the vibrating phone squished between her cheek and the pillow, grunting at the annoying device. She throws the phone away, slowly sitting up straight with a fuzzy mind, still rubbing her painful head from the accidental fall.

“What the hell was that?”

What the hell was that indeed, for the author is writing whatever nonsense she could think of, only to be exposed like this. Perhaps, it was due to the girl's late night habit of binge-watching animal documentaries that led to the weird dream she had. Or maybe because she’s taking a nap in the afternoon with an empty stomach. Yes, that must be the reasons, not the author’s fault mind you.

Her phone vibrates again. She mindlessly takes it, wanting nothing more than to silent her phone, only for her droopy eyes to enlarge from the time shown.

“Crap!”

Her slumped body immediately wakes up as she makes a beeline to the washroom, realizing she’s going to be late for her afternoon shift at the restaurant if she’s delayed more. 

The place starts to get packed with customers when the sun begins to set. It’s almost time for dinner, also the end of her shift. Just as she had finished catering to her last patron of the day, her phone vibrates. After giving a deep bow to the leaving couple, she sneaks into a corner and checks her phone. 

A smile grows on her exhausted face.

 

M.Sana: I’m in dire need of something cold and creamy (>_<)       

Chewy: Mayo?

M.Sana: Ew no. I’m not your Momo-unnie (¬_¬)

Chewy: Toothpaste?

M.Sana: Tzu, nooooo i didn’t say mintyyyy (˃ᆺ˂)

Chewy: Oh. I was actually craving choco mint ice cream. Nvm then

M.Sana: Tzuuuuuuuuu andwaeeeeeeee (ಥ﹏ಥ)

 

The smile turns into a wide grin as she imagines Sana pouting and whining from her teasing.  She was about to invite Sana for an ice cream date when her name was suddenly called from the kitchen.

“Shoot.” She mumbled, thinking she was caught.

Slipping the phone back into the front pocket of her apron, she rushes through the tables and straight to the kitchen where a fuming Shindong is groaning to himself amidst his workers. She swallowed audibly, afraid to face her boss’s wrath, only to have him turn to her when the others point in her direction. 

“Chou, there you are! Where is your senior?”

“Senior?” 

“That good-for-nothing Hirai!” He replied, eyes seething with anger. “Just when the kitchen needs her, she decides to disappear and ditch us!”

Tzuyu responded with robot-like nod as the boss grumbles about their current lack of staff situation, the newby recruits who are only there for free food but void the brains and skills to work, while two of their permanent staffs had to call in sick from food poisoning. 

She has been covering Momo’s shift for almost a week now, trying to prevent the senior from getting into trouble with the boss. She might not have the expertise Momo has in the kitchen, but Tzuyu has a knack of pacifying the impatient customers just by her presence alone. Something about her goddess-like appearance that brings peace to the whole regulars in the restaurant.

However, she doesn’t want to disappoint Sana either. This was the third time she had rejected Sana’s invitation for an ice cream date, not to mention she’s been seeing her girlfriend less during the days due to her tight class schedule. Her mind drifts to the present she has for Sana and the money she owed Momo. She’s been getting double the pay from overtime. The quicker she pays Momo her money, the lesser guilt she will feel for borrowing them. 

Maybe, that gift will make amends to her Sana-unnie too. Besides, she’s doing Mina-unnie a favour, one she personally asked for the blonde senior.

 

The tall girl was just leaving her dorm when she saw Mina leaning on the wall by the staircase. She smiled in recognition, already expecting the vice president who messaged her early in the morning to walk to class together.

“Mina-unnie!”

She greeted, receiving a smile and a small wave. As she gets closer, Tzuyu notices the dark circles and sunken cheeks, but doesn't ask about them. She knows Mina is trying hard to cope with the incident, and the last thing the younger wants to do is to trigger the already calmed storm in her heart. 

They walk in comfortable silence, Tzuyu chancing a glance to the vice president once in a while. It was a bit odd for Mina to invite her for a walk together to college, even more so when she told Tzuyu to keep this from Sana. Yes, the squirrel can be a bit possessive at times, but Sana will never think ill of them being together. She knows how Mina and Tzuyu click well together, both being reserved, calm, and prefer to be quiet as compared to Sana’s loud . 

“Tzuyu.”

She snapped her head to the senior, finally hearing a sound coming from the latter.

“Yes?”

Tzuyu eagerly waits, her eyes catching the reluctance as Mina bit her lower lip, hands dug deep in her jacket’s pocket. 

“How,” A pause, followed by a silent sigh and curious eyes. “How is she?”

Tzuyu didn’t need to ask, because it’s perfectly clear who the question is directed to, judging from the hesitance in Mina’s voice. 

“She’s hurting.” The taller simply answered, eyes looking straight ahead to avoid the pain emanating from Mina’s struggling pair. “So do you, Mina-unnie.”

There was a sigh, and Tzuyu didn’t need to see Mina’s current state when she heard soft sniffles. Instead, she took out her handkerchief and passed it to the vice president silently crying beside her.

“I need more time, Tzuyu.” She spoke after a minute, and the taller responded with an understanding nod. 

“I know.” 

They almost neared the college entrance when Mina stopped, pulling the junior to a corner away from other’s curious stares.

“Can I ask you for another favour?”

“Sure.”

“Watch over Momo for me?”

An expectant look, and Tzuyu is a softie when it comes to her Mina-unnie. It’s weird in a sense, that she’s more comfortable with Mina than Momo whom she knows longer. Perhaps, it’s the way they are both a person lacking in expression, preferring to bottle things up just to get away from trouble. 

And maybe, that’s what attracted Momo to the vice president, how similarly they behave in order to protect the ones they love by sacrificing their own needs, that they are both stubborn in that sense, but none of them can admit it to one another.

They really need to talk this out.

“But, unnie...”

“Please?” She pleaded, eyes quivering with uncertainty. “I know I should ask for Sana’s help but something happened and they’re not on good terms currently and blame me for being a socially inept person but there’s no one else I can think of rather than you-”

It’s been a while since she heard Mina talk so much and to think she would spout out these words just because of a certain blonde. A smile etched on her face, her hand grabbing Mina’s arm to stop the girl from rambling more.

“Mina-unnie!”

“Y-Yes?”

“Take all the time you need.” She smiled, warmly. “I’ll take care of Momo-unnie for you.”

 

Truthfully, it’s been more than a week since she last saw Momo. She doesn’t know if she’s doing a good job of fulfilling Mina’s request but she understands that to help someone, doesn’t mean to physically be there. 

An act of kindness alone is enough.

She weighs her decision with a heavy heart, before making her resolve. She clenches the phone inside her apron’s pocket, making a silent apology to Sana before taking a step forward.

“I can cover tonight’s shift.”

She was met with a hesitant Shindong wearing a concerned look. “Are you sure? You’ve been working past your 12-hours shift this week alone.”

Tzuyu gives him a determined look, “I can do it.”

“Well, I suppose it’s fine. But make sure to take some breaks in between, okay Chou?”

“Yes, oppa.” She received a pat on the back, before turning away to resume her shift.

She hopes Sana will still be awake later when she stops by with her favourite vanilla-flavoured ice cream as an apology.

 

*

 

The next day, however, Tzuyu had to blink her eyes a few times to make sure it was really the blonde unnie that appeared before her, clad in her cooking attire of black apron and red Disney-designed head bandana. 

“Momo-unnie?”

“Hey, Tzuyu. Miss me?” 

The younger returned the smile she received, despite it being bleak and lost the eagerness Momo always spared for her. It’s an improvement at least to see the older smiling; having a relationship issue was never easy in the first place and Tzuyu understands that. They didn’t get to converse more, already being called to take in customer’s orders but Tzuyu always has her eyes on the senior.

Perhaps it was due to her instinct that Momo is not in her right state of mind, because for the past hour, each time she took a prepared dish from the kitchen counter, she heard the senior’s name being shouted.

“Hirai! The meat is supposed to be salty, not sweet!”

She sees a glimpse of Momo giving a slight bow to the angry senior chef, before she was assigned to be the cook assistant. 

“Hey, I need them eggs in the bowl, not on the counter! Damn, what a waste...”

Within a matter of minutes, she was told to be the waiter for the night.

“Pardon, we asked for bibimpap set. This is omelet…?”

Shindong is currently glaring down at Momo for her blunders, directing the latter to take the spot back in the kitchen, only this time, it’s behind the sink. Tzuyu was grateful she appeared just in time to the kitchen, because she can’t imagine the stacks of plates about to fall when Momo accidentally hit them with her elbow.

Putting the plates aside in a careful manner, she gives Momo a lop-sided smile. The latter sighs, her sagging shoulders lifted with a defeated smile.

“Oops?”

A silent giggle left Tzuyu’s mouth as she took off her apron, before dragging the confused Momo towards the backdoor.

“Tzuyu, what are you doing? I’m still on the clock-”

“It’s Shindong-oppa’s order.” She pushed the older to sit on the bench. “You’re making more mistakes than the new part timer, unnie. I even lost count of your slipups today.”

“I’m probably losing touch for ditching the kitchen the entire week.” The blonde scratches her head, earning a sceptical eyebrow-raised from the younger.

“Unnie, I saw you cook breakfast with your eyes closed every morning. Don’t bluff with me.”

“I did?” A frown made its way on her face. “Fine… I am a little tired.”

“Emotionally?”

A pause, followed by another shrug. Despite the dim surroundings, she noticed Momo’s downcasted face from the reflection of cars passing by the alley. Tzuyu gently scoot closer, nudging the blonde for her attention.

“You can talk to me, unnie. Chaeng said I’m a good listener.”

She patiently waits, until Momo raises her head with a sigh; her lips and eyebrows forming a straight line.

“I think I’m losing.”

“What?”

“Mina...” Momo tilted her head with a painful smile. “I’ve lost her, Tzu.”

There’s a crack in her voice, and Tzuyu quickly pulls the older into a hug when she sees the lone tear sliding down Momo’s cheek. There are no words exchanged, only the occasional sniffles and sobbing accompanying them that night as her unnie cried out all of her sorrow for the stars to listen, and for the moon to watch over the two struggling souls.

That weekend, Tzuyu didn’t take a day off as usual, being the hardworking girl she is. Instead, she asked for an early morning shift at the restaurant because she has a plan for tonight that includes her two partners-in-crime.

 

“Kidnapping? That’s ridiculous!” Chaeyoung sputtered while loudly munching on her carrot.

“Why not?”

“Tzuyu, it’s an offensive offense of criminal offense!”

“We’re not technically kidnapping as in, a real kidnap.” Tzuyu emphasized the word with her fingers, her eyes rolling for Chaeyoung’s unwanted outburst. “We’re just gonna take Momo-unnie somewhere without her knowledge.”

“You mean, Momonapping? That’s worse than the real one!”

Tzuyu wears a straight face, letting out an audible sigh when suddenly a hand wraps around her shoulder.

“What’s this I hear about Momonapping?”

Dahyun pops out of nowhere, eagerly grinning at the two maknaes.

“We’re kidnapping Momo-unnie.” Tzuyu deadpanned, earning a loud gasp from the tofu.

“Are you kidding?” Dahyun gives the tall, unfazed maknae an incredulous look. “Count me in!”

“Really?” 

Tzuyu’s face lit up, while Chaeyoung groaned with a hand rubbing her face. She peeks from her fingers, catching the excited look of her crazy friends.

“You’re not coming, Chaeng?”

The expectant look of her Dubu-unnie makes Chaeyoung falter, a pinkish hue covering her cheeks. It didn’t help that the annoying yoda is teasingly nudging her on the ribs. 

“Who can say no to that face...” She grumbled to herself, only to be caught by Dahyun who gave her a curious look.

“What did you say?” 

Chaeyoung visibly flinched when Dahyun inched her head closer, trying to catch the younger’s mumbling.

“N-No!”

“No?” Dahyun pouts, deliberately. “You won’t join us?” 

Chaeyoung quickly flails her hand from Dahyun’s dejected face. 

“T-That’s not it! I’ll join, okay?”

The two girls cheered with a high-five, the small cub frowning from her weak resolve. She side-glared to the tallest among them, the latter giving her a peace sign with a playful wink. She knows Chaeyoung’s weakness fairly well, so it’s a given that the pale unnie arrived at such great timing.

 

Tzuyu literally runs to the college after her shift, trying to catch up with the blonde before she leaves the campus ground. They had agreed to meet at the dorm, but knowing Momo’s unstable condition as of late, she decided to pick up the senior before she did something funny and ran away from her.

A grin made its way to her face at the sight of Momo trudging out of the library with sagged shoulders. She was probably chased out, the librarian makes it a punctuality to close the place exactly at 9 PM on weekends. The blonde was shocked to feel an arm slithering its way under her armpit, meeting the grinning face of a tall yoda.

“Tzuyu? I thought we’re meeting at the dorm?”

“Less talking, more walking.” She innocently grins, before pulling the bewildered Momo into a slow jog. “Let’s go, unnie!”

There were struggles and protests along the way, but Tzuyu’s strength is unmatched. She might look fragile, but underneath that frail appearance is a hidden muscle resembling Hulk. 

“Why does everything green relate to you?”

Tzuyu turns questioningly to the blonde mumbling on her own. “What, unnie?”

“Nothing, just asking where are we going.”

“Oh, we’re getting near.”

Tzuyu received an incredulous look as the senior observed her surroundings - there’s only trees with a lot of trees in between, nothing else but green, again. Then, she finds a lone light illuminating the lakeside just beside the dorm’s parking lot, revealing a strawberry blanket laid out on the grass that resembles Chaeyoung’s. Momo searched the place for her favourite small person, unaware of the presence hiding behind a tree.

“Boo!”

“AAAACKKK!

The scaredy blonde almost runs away, if only she wasn’t clinging to the tall maknae who snickered at her frightened state. She peeks an eye at the perpetrator, finding Dahyun holding a flashlight under her chin.

“Did I scare you, unnie?” Dahyun teased, still laughing at the blonde.

“You’re already pale enough, Dubu! I would have mistaken you as a ghost even in day time!”

“Yah! That was mean!” The girl faked a hurt expression, but was ignored by Momo still frowning at her..

Just then, a small cub appeared from the parking lot, hauling a big black plastic bag over her shoulder.

“Woohoo! We’re going to drink the night away, ladies!” 

“Wait, Chaeng! You bought some booze?” Dahyun reprimands the grinning Chaeyoung, followed by the oldest of the group.

“What booze? Hey, you guys are still underage!”

“Why do you have to rub it on my face...” 

Chaeyoung pouts, feeling hurt by the accusation as she reveals the packs of yakult she smuggled from the cafeteria’s “expired soon” stock. Tzuyu pulls out bags of chips, jellies and chocolates from Dahyun’s stash, silently laughing at the noise when the party hasn’t even started yet.

They pulled the still confused and dazed senior to sit, all of them huddled together on the tinyu blanket as they passed the drinks and snacks around.

“Chae, I know you’re small. But does the blanket have to be an S size too?”

“Just be grateful it can keep your clean!” Chaeyoung grumbles to the cackling Dahyun, before nudging the silent blonde to get her attention. “Right, Momo-unnie?”

Tzuyu warily eyed Momo while taking a small sip, the blonde wearing an unreadable expression as she looked into the distance. They exchange glances, before Tzuyu gives a pack of jellies to the older;  her favourite.

“Don’t think too much, unnie.” She wraps an arm over Momo’s shoulder, “Let’s enjoy tonight, okay?”

She can see Momo trying to blink away the tears pooling in her eyes. She wipes them, before taking a deep breath, a smile replacing the small frown she had.

“You said it’s a party, but I don’t see any fried chicken here.” 

“Oh! You’re buying us chicken, Momo-unnie?”

“No, Chaeyoung will.”

“Yahh why meee?!” 

"Khhh, this thing is good stuff!"

Laughter filled the place, together with splashes of yakult and bits of crackers painted over Chaeyoung’s blanket. Tzuyu made a reminder to send her friend’s favourite blanket to dry cleaning tomorrow as compensation. She already experienced Chaeyoung’s tantrums when her strawberry blanket went missing during their sleepover session - she wouldn’t want to face another one of them. 

She fondly watches as Cheayoung and Dahyun share a shot before Momo pushes their heads together, the drinks spurt out on their faces. The blonde guffawed, only to be plummeted by two bodies into a burger. The tall girl laughs and claps from the funny scene, refusing to help the senior shouting for help, before she too lands on top of the three. 

Maybe her impromptu plan was a success after all, because there was no more the usual frown on her Momo-unnie’s face that night. Tzuyu will do anything to see the senior back to her old self again, cackling and joking around without giving a damn about the most problematic trouble in the world.

Even if they got wasted and hungover in the morning from probiotic-induced overdose. 

 

*

 

Tzuyu is in a trance, a hand supporting her chin as the chocolate ice cream slowly melts away, forgotten on the table. She is staring unabashedly at the senior talking animatedly beside her, finding the person stunning even with her usual oversized hoodie and frizzy yellow hair. If Tzuyu remembers correctly, it was just last week when she saw a different hair color on the senior. No, she didn’t remember what color it was because Sana changes it like she changes clothes.

“Tzu?”

“Hmm?”

“Your phone is buzzing.”

“Hmm.” She absentmindedly hums, eyes still on her girlfriend, only to feel the gadget vibrating closely by her arm. “Oh, geez. The phone. Sorry.”

She opens the app chat, not minding to hide it from Sana as she props her chin on Tzuyu’s shoulder, taking a peek at the message. A small smile appeared on the younger’s face at the short message she received from Momo, stating her gratefulness for their night out the other day. She was about to type a reply, only to hear a deep sigh coming from Sana.

“What’s wrong?”

She already misses Sana’s touch when the older detach from her, scooting away to her own seat with a frown. 

“You’re still in contact with her, I see.”

“I don’t see any reason to cut myself off from Momo-unnie.”

“Did you hear yourself just now, Tzuyu?” The older scoffed, shaking her head at the dumbfounded Tzuyu. “I can’t believe you’re taking her side.”

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, Sana. The problem is between both of them. I’m not taking part in their quarrel because this is for them to settle, and not for us to meddle.”

“Oh, so I’m the bad guy here?”

“What? Sana, no-”

“It is, Tzuyu! You’re indirectly implying that on my face.”

The tall girl inhales to calm herself down, not taking her eyes off her fuming girlfriend. She observes the latter, noticing every detail of Sana’s action when she’s mad. Her cheeks would puff out, cute lips jutted out into a pout, while her jaw tightens, making the sharp jawline prominent with veins popping out of her neck. Tzuyu should be scared, intimidated, but she finds it cute and y, cool and hot at the same time.  

She reaches for Sana’s arm, pulling with a bit of force as she was met with a hesitant push. 

“You’re angry?”

“No, I’m laughing.” Sana rolled her eyes, causing a small chuckle to escape Tzuyu’s mouth. She quickly clears after receiving a death glare, her lips clamped into an endearing smile at the adorable sight.

“I never said it was anyone’s fault, nor was it yours. You are their friends, best friends, and it’s normal that you want to help them in any way you can. But we shouldn’t make things worse by getting involved more than what is needed.”

The hand holding Sana’s arm glides lower, her thumb gently rubbing her girlfriend’s knuckles to pacify her. 

“Mina-unnie still hasn’t heard an explanation from Momo-unnie, and so do we. What we can do now is give them time to clear their heads, while giving them our best support. They’re going to work things out, eventually.”

She feels a light squeeze from the older, eyes staring back at Tzuyu’s gentle pair. “How can you be so sure they’re going to be fine?”

“I don’t.” Tzuyu shrugged, “But my intuition is telling me so.”

A disbelief snort came from Sana, “Really, Tzu?”

“Of course!” She grinned, exposing the cute dimple on her left cheek. “I mean, look at us. I wouldn’t accept your confession if I didn’t trust my gut feeling, Sana.”

She saw the sudden flicker in Sana’s eyes, as if stars were twinkling in the deep abyss of her clear brown irises, before a peck landed on her cheek.

“Thank you.” 

Sana scooted closer, their arms linking together as their fingers tangled in a gentle squeeze. There’s a lost butterfly fluttering freely in Tzuyu’s stomach, but she didn’t mind. She loves this feeling, of being close to Sana and having weird sensations popping up surprisingly all over her body.

“I was actually frustrated with myself, Tzu. Imagine waking up every morning, to see your friend in a wrecked state. Mina hasn’t cried as much, but I know deep down she’s still hurting.”

Tzuyu feels a weight landing softly on her right shoulder, her intertwined fingers being played by her partner in her distracted state. A common gesture of Sana when she’s troubled or anxious, the little touches give some sort of comfort and diversion to her overbearing senses. 

“I can’t help but blame myself for Mina’s current state, you know? I’m one of the closest people to the source of her heartbreak. I’m Momo’s bestfriend, and also Nayeon’s close acquaintance.”

“But, Sana... was it your fault that things happened?”

A pause, followed by a shake of her head. “No.”

“Then stop blaming yourself. You already tried your best to help Mina-unnie, that’s enough.”

Sana lets out a soft hum before snuggling closer, her breath tickling the younger’s neck. But the latter didn’t move, praying in her heart that the loud thumping of her chest would soon calm down, not that it will.

“I hate that you know what to say in this situation.”

“Should I zip my mouth, then?”

“No, don’t you dare!” Sana warned, only to hug Tzuyu’s arm tighter while wiggling their bodies together, letting out a small giggle from Tzuyu’s reluctant groan. “I really miss you, Tzu. It’s really hard to see you these days. Even Jihyo was chasing down my every day asking for you.”

“Ahh, sorry for that. Got a lot of assignments and quizzes to catch up.” Tzuyu casually replied, ignoring the fact that she just lied to Sana on her face and hoping she wouldn't catch up with it. 

However, she was met with a glare.

“Are you sure it’s just that?” Sana narrowed her eyes into slits, “You’re not cheating behind my back, are you?”

Tzuyu faked a gasp, at the same time mentally thanking her poker face for a job well done. “Why would I?”

“Tzuyu, you’re practically a celebrity on our campus. Everyone wants a taste of you.”

If only Sana knew these people were, in fact, asking for Sana’s number from Tzuyu due to their closeness. 

The tall girl shakes her head with a chortle, before pulling the pouting face closer to her own. Their eyes met in a tender gaze, a pair of large doe eyes giving assurance to her lover with an unspoken confession, and a small but meaningful action.

“My eyes are stuck on you, Sana.” A peck landed on Sana’s nose, followed by a gentle kiss planted on the corner of her lips. “Only you.”

She can feel a faint shuddering, before Sana tugs her closer, nuzzling their noses together with a contented grin etched on her face.

“But, Sana... you should really get your hair treated.” Tzuyu comments, a teasing smirk on her face. “You look like a hobo and I don’t intend to date one, just so you know.”

“YAH CHOU TZUYU!” 

 

*

 

It’s barely past nine in the evening but Tzuyu is already yawning, a hand covering . She had just finished her last class, only to remember her first lecture started as early as seven. No wonder she’s so tired tonight, spending more than 12 hours at college. She feels a nudge on her waist, turning to Chaeyoung who tries to keep her awake as she too lets out a loud and big yawn without caring if a fly would snuck in. 

“Aish, tell me again why I take this class?”

“Because it has extra credits.”

“Right.”

Tzuyu chortles from Chaeyoung’s nonchalant response, opting to link their arms together so her friend could cling to her without falling flat on her face from sleepiness. She slips her free hand into her long coat, taking out her phone to check if there’s any incoming message. 

She frowned when she found none. 

She had made plans for a supper together with Sana later, and usually the older would spam her chat an hour before their promised meeting time just to mess with Tzuyu. It was weird to see her phone being silent, already used to Sana’s nag and whine acting as an alarm for their promised date.

She might be busy, Tzuyu reasoned, her fingers already hovering over the screen to type a message, but was stalled when Chaeyoung’s stomach let out a loud growl.

“Omo, my baby is crying! Help me feed her, Tzuyu!”

The taller snickered from her friend’s dramatic acting as she takes out her leftover energy bar and offers it to the lethargic cub. Chaeyoung’s eyes immediately lit up, the half bar disappeared with just one large chomp.

“You know, I really miss Momo-unnie at times like this.” She dramatically sighed, chewing with a full cheek. “No one buys me food nowadays.”

“You shouldn’t leech off of Momo-unnie like that. There’s a reason why she’s working at the restaurant.”

The cub pouts, rolling her eyes. “I know that, but she’s the only senior I know who’s kind enough to buy me free dinner.”

“Oh? What about Dahyun-unnie?”

Chaeyoung frowns at the name, “What about her?”

“She always invites you for lunch, right?” Tzuyu annoyingly wiggles her eyebrow, earning a push from the frowning but blushing cub.

“It’s just a friendly lunch.” Chaeyoung grumbled, “Besides, she hasn’t move on from that person.”

Tzuyu’s laugh ceased immediately, knowing full well who that person Chaeyoung mentioned. Sensing the sudden silence from her friend, Chaeyoung quickly apologized from her slip of tongue.

“Tzu, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine. No hard feelings, right?” She shrugged, despite the pang in her chest.

Indeed, she already knows of Dahyun’s crush over her girlfriend. Even if she never mentioned anything, it was plain obvious for everyone to catch on to the hidden feelings Dahyun had for her best friend, Sana. There was a slight guilt on Tzuyu's side, for snatching the girl of Dahyun’s dream, but she has feelings too. A feeling so deep and frightening, she almost drowned in uncertainties of the new sensation beating within her chest each time she saw the famous Minatozaki Sana. 

Hence, it is one of the many reasons why she didn’t accept Sana’s confession the first time. Because she feels like betraying Dahyun, one of her close friends, who harboured a deep crush for Sana since they met. Tzuyu contemplates a lot with her own feelings for Sana, but seeing how the latter reciprocates her affection by chasing her down in every opportunity the senior gets, Tzuyu just had to do the leap of faith and trust her instinct.

It was selfish of her, but that selfishness was worth every pain she had to endure for a taste of what love has to offer.

“Do you know if Momo-unnie quit her job? I’ve never seen her there this week.”

“Oh, she’s taking a small break.”

“Really? Momo-unnie is taking a break from cooking? That’s a first…”

“Well, she’s not in the right mind to work.” Tzuyu scratched her cheek, contemplating to tell Chaeyoung about the issue. But they are close to Momo anyway, it doesn’t hurt to have more comrades taking care of the blonde. “She had a fight with Mina-unnie.”

“Ehh? Didn’t they just get together last month?”

Tzuyu chuckled at that. “To be honest, they already act like a couple before officially becoming one.”

Her small friend lets out an amused whistle, “Being in a relationship sounds nice, but it’s too much work! I mean, just watching my sister and her girlfriend is already tiring enough for me.”

“Really? What happened?”

“Remember that night I was supposed to join you and Sana-unnie for our documentary marathon but didn’t?“ Tzuyu nodded, recalling vividly the incident that happened following her docu-date with Sana. 

“I actually had to keep an eye on Jeongyeon's girlfriend who just passed out drunk in Momo-unnie's room. Seriously, I know I’m Nayeon-unnie’s favourite, but they don’t need to visit me if she’s in that condition. Momo-unnie and I had to help Jeongyeon drag her heavy down the 5-stories staircase, and I suffered 3 days of backache for that!”

Tzuyu absentmindedly nodded from Chaeyoung’s long rambling, only to whip her head at the mention of the familiar name.

“What…?”

“What?”

“Did you say, Nayeon-unnie?”

“Yeah, Nayeon-unnie.” She innocently bobs her head. “They wanted to visit me since it’s the weekend and all, which was really unnecessary.”

Could it be… Tzuyu swallowed hard, before asking another question to confirm her hunch.

“So you’re saying, Nayeon-unnie and your sister is…?”

“Together.” Chaeyoung turns to her, showing her proud, dimpled grin. “She is Jeongyeon’s girlfriend.”

 

*

 

Tzuyu couldn’t believe it, but her hunch was right, again. This was all a misunderstanding, and all they need is explanation from both sides. This was actually an easy fix, but things had to go down like this. The prolonging fight between Mina and Momo was really unnecessary, and Tzuyu needs to tell them about it.

She needs to see Mina and tell her about it.

“Hey, Tzu! Wait up!”

She ignores Chaeyoung’s call in the distance, knowing the girl has no problem catching up with her fast legs. She only has one thing in her head, and that is to see Mina. That it was all a misunderstanding, that she doesn’t need to be hurting anymore.

They don’t need to be hurt any longer.

Tzuyu pushes all her remaining strength to her legs, running back to the dorm despite the muscles slowly numbing, her lungs pleading for oxygen. Her hope is raised up once again when she reaches the dorm gate, only for her heart to drop at the sight welcoming her.

On the bench under the orange light pole on the parking lot, are two people giggling and laughing together, their hands connected. She squints her eyes, afraid if she’s mistaken, but she was right all along.

“Tzu, can you please not go off like that next time? Pass me a memo or something if you feel like having a sprint race.” Chaeyoung whined, slightly panting as she caught up with the silent Yoda. 

Tzuyu suddenly reaches for her arm, the tight squeeze makes the small cub yelp.

“Tzu, what are you-”

Chaeyoung turns her head to Tzuyu’s line of vision, and finally sees the cause of her stupefied state. Cheayoung silently gasped when Sana leaned in, leaving a peck on Dahyun’s cheek a tad too long than usual. Despite the orange hue, she could make out the faint blush on the pale girl’s face. 

She glanced up to her tall friend, noting the hardened face and quivering eyes. Taking a deep breath, she hollered a name.

“Dahyun, my bro!” 

Tzuyu breaks out of her trance, blinking a few times only to feel her arm being pulled forward by Chaeyoung. She didn’t say anything, blindly following her small friend who excitedly waved her hand at the couple of friends.

Couple… why does it sound so right but also heartbreaking?

She saw how both of them scoot away, Dahyun jumping on her feet as she waves back to Chaeyoung, taking a step forward to the latter. While Sana… is being the usual Sana. Her eyes brightened, lips growing wide as their gaze met. It was as if nothing happened, and she was being her normal elated self, approachingTzuyu with a coy grin.

“You just got back from class?”

“Yeah...” Tzuyu feigned a smile, hiding the discomfort in her chest. “You’re not sleeping yet?”

Just in cue, a yawn escapes Sana’s mouth, only for her lips to muffle it with a lazy smile. “Nah, not yet. I’m a night owl, remember?”

Tzuyu quirks an eyebrow, “You just yawned.”

“I needed oxygen.” Sana wears a dopey grin, earning a set of chuckle from the tall girl. “You must be tired. Go take an early rest, okay?”

Tzuyu bit her lower lip, her hands slipping into the pockets of her jacket. “What about you?”

“I have a few things to settle with Dahyun, then I’m hitting the sack.”

“Oh.” She grips her phone tightly, remembering their supposedly late-night supper together. She clenches and loosen her fists inside the comfort of her pocket, before giving a slow nod.

“Okay then.” She smiled, strained. Not that Sana could see it in this dim area. “Well, I’ll be going.”

“Good night, Chewy-ah.” Sana pecks a kiss on her cheek, her smile still as warm as what Tzuyu used to. 

She feels Chaeyoung walking to her side, waving Sana goodbye before pulling her away to their designated dorm building. Before leaving, Tzuyu managed to cast a glance on Dahyun. The latter gives her a smile, an awkward one, without muttering a word.

That was odd. Dahyun never leaves without saying goodbye to her, to them.

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, trying to forget the kiss she saw. But her chest is still pounding, throbbing an indescribable beat that doesn’t bode well.

Tzuyu didn’t say a word after Chaeyoung dropped her off in her room, merely shutting the door as quietly as she could. She sneaks a glance to the empty bed of her roommate, not bothered to turn on the lights. She only shrugs off her bag and jacket, before lying down on her bed, staring into nothingness for the rest of the night.

 

 

 

---

A/N:

I asked some of my readers last night if they would still wait for updates even if takes years, and their responses made me cried to tears! I don't deserve your kindness, but I know I should be kind to you guys, so here's an update, woohoo!

Thank you for still patiently waiting! *deep bow with finger heart* I wish all of you a great weekend and weekdays and workdays and everything nice! Take care and thank you again!!! <3

Oh, shameless advertising but please do give this MiMo Yakuza/Ninja AU a read and tell me what you feel, okay?? ^^