“Can I get your phone number,Mina?”

“W-Whatt?”

A few minutes ago…

To be approached by her one and only cub for the first time ever.Usually it was always her being the one to make the move.However,their roles were reversed today.Mina swore she felt her heartbeat pace increased higher and higher each step Chaeyoung took to approach her.

“Mina.”

“Y-Yes,Chaengie?”

The older her dry lips as the petite girl was now standing right in front of her.Staring into her eyes,Mina’s mind took this advantage to mess with her by replaying the last moments of her and Chaeyoung from last week at the hotel,causing the Japanese to turn as red as tomatoes.

“Are you gonna join the closing show,Mina?”

“Eh urm..I-I don’t know…I’m not sure…I can’t think of anything for that…”

“Oh…”

Chaeyoung looked down as she heard the answer given by the Japanese.As for the older who saw that kind of face she never saw of Son Chaeyoung before immediately shot another question.

“Why,Chaengie?”

“Nothing..I-I just want to see you dance again.It makes me feel good every time I see you dancing..I..I like it”

Mina bit her inner cheek as she looked aside,avoiding the cub’s gaze.

“I see…Well then..I-I’ll give it a thought.”

The Japanese stated.

“R-Really?”

“Yes.”

Mina nodded as she smiled,seeing Chaeyoung switched back to herself,calm and in control before the cub once again shot another unexpected bold sentence to the penguin.

Current time

“Can I get your phone number,Mina?”

“W-Whatt?”

“I mean…it’s normal for friends to exchange phone number,right Mina?”

Friends.Mina smiled as she nodded.

“Yes.”

…

9.00 P.M.

Room 2314

Friends.

Tzuyu was already in deep sleep.The lights was off.Chaeyoung laid herself on the mattress as the bed made a tiny creaking noise before she put her arm on her face,covering her eyes.She then let out a heavy sigh.Did she screw up?Is it true they are really friends after so much that has happened?It felt wrong somehow that the cub’s heart was beating painfully after she let that word out of .Chaeyoung wasn’t sure if it was just her mind toying with her but she swore Mina’s expression changed too and that’s what bothering her the most.The doctor was very much right.Feelings are way too complicated.Sometimes she’s sure of their situation,sometimes she didn’t.It’s never going in a consistent pace.What if she’s got all of this wrong.Mina had been showing her a lot.Could it be that she’s the dense one?What if…

ting

The cub’s deep thinking session was somehow disturbed by a text that just got in her inbox.Distracted by the bright light from the screen,Chaeyoung reached for her phone on the study table.Unlocking the device,her eyes caught a text from the person who’s renting her mind lately,pushing her heartbeat to skip double.

From Mina : Chaengie.Hey 😊

“M-Mina.”

She whispered before her fingers immediately tapping the alphabets on the keyboard,typing whatever came to her mind first.

To Mina : Hey,Mina.

read

Chaeyoung moved to her side as she waited for the other person who was still typing.

From Mina : What are you doing?Did I disturb you?

To Mina : What n-

delete delete

To Mina : I’m not doing anything.Just laying on my bed while waiting to fal-

“No,that’s too long.”

delete delete

To Mina : No,I wasn’t doing anything.

typing…

From Mina : To type that sentence…You sure took pretty much time ehehe

“What I didn’t~”

The cub mumbled as she felt her cheeks turning warm before she quickly replying back,not wanting to be teased by the penguin two times in a row.

To Mina : Something just distracted me.

From Mina : Oh really?What was it then?Want me to help you with?

To Mina : No,it’s alright now.

From Mina : Okay then~Oh I actually have something to tell you,Changie~

“Something to tell me?”

Chaeyoung muttered to herself as she sat up with her back against the wall.Her heart somehow felt like it’s going to jump out of her chest as she waited for the penguin to finish typing.

From Mina : I already made up my mind.

“M-Made up her mind?”

From Mina : I will join the closing show.

Chaeyoung could felt her heart skipped way too fast when she put her hand on her chest.She didn’t know why but the thought of seeing Mina perfoming again,it just felt so good.Her fingers continued to push the letters,not thinking too much this time as she typed what she really wanted to say.

To Mina : That’s great~I really wanna see you perform again~You are amazing~

Room 2429

From Chaengie : That’s great~I really wanna see you perform again~You are amazing~

“Amazing,huh?”

Mina bit her inner cheeks,trying to control her smile that’s getting wider when her eyes caught the next text she got from the cub.

From Chaengie : Can I watch you practice soon?

2 weeks later…

Perhaps it’s the excitement that resulted Mina to feel like this.She couldn’t seem to calm herself down everytime she thought of the upcoming performance.Her heart skipped double at just the thoughts of it.Maybe that;s still normal since it had been almost 2 years since she last performed.Mina tried to push the feelings away by practicing more but it just won’t go away.Chaeyoung had been coming to see her practice session everytime she’s free too and Mina,as usual had no problem of performing in front of that tiger.However,it went on different path with the thoughts of other people that would be filling the hall to watch her on the big stage.The black swan took a deep breath as she wiped her sweat off her forehead.Starting from the top again,Mina then heard some knocks on the door.Knowing who it would be,the ballerina smiled before sliding the door open,greeting the guest with her gummy smile.

“Hey~”

“Hey,Mina.”

Chaeyoung nodded before entering the dance studio.She then took a seat at her usual spot in the corner,ready to watch the dancer’s moves while the dancer walked closer to her.Matching here eye level with the art student,Mina smiled gently as she leaned her face forward.

“Are you sure with watching me practice so many times in a week,Chaengie?It’s just the same thing every practice~.”

“Hmm I know but I like watching you dancing,Mina.”

Fast and solid.Chaeyoung pinned that answer,making the girl in front of her couldn’t contain her huge smile on her face.

“I see,I’m glad then that you like it~It makes me feel good too.”

Mina touched the tip of Chaeyoung’s nose before getting on her feet back,meanwhile the cub had a hard time with her heart almost jumping out of her chest due to the penguin’s sudden action.Chaeyoung felt her cheeks got warmer as she just glued her eyes to the side of the room,making Mina giggled.

“I’ll be starting then~”

…

Room 2314

“I’m back,Tzuyu~”

The Korean entered the room before she sat herself on the chair in front of her study table.She put down her backpack with her face facing Tzuyu who was busy doing something.The Taiwanese was somehow unusually quieter than usual and Chaeyoung noticed that of course.

“Tzuyu?”

She called for her roommate.

“…”

No response.Chaeyoung was sure that the tall girl wasn’t wearing her earphones and she usually answered the petite girl,like always.

“Tzuyu?Are you okay?”

Thank goodness the girl answered this time but Chaeyoung could smell that something was off somehow.

“Okay?I guess I am okay…Yeah..”

Tzuyu replied with a hint of sarcasm bullet shot directly to Chaeyoung’s face.

“Tzuyu?What happened?”

Hearing the obvious question,Tzuyu shook her head as she laughed it off.

“Nothing much happened except for that person who forgot her promise to me.”

Baam.Another fire bullet by Chou Tzuyu.Chaeyoung swore she could not move a muscle when the memories of her promising Tzuyu to accompany that girl to a new book café finally rushed to her mind.Her chest tightened as if it’s trying to choke her.

“Tzuyu,I can explain.”

“It’s okay,I got it,Chaeyoung.Mina needs your support more than me getting excited over some stupid book cafe.It’s nothing to be worried about anyway.

“Tzuyu…”

Tzuyu stood up before turning around to face Chaeyoung with tears pooling in her eyes.

“Look Chaeyoung,I like you,okay?”

Hearing the sudden confession,Chaeyoung failed to reply.

“And you won’t even get it.You said you finally begin to feel and I thought I could show you hints and stuffs to tell you that I like you.But then suddenly,before I get to do that,Mina appeared in your life and you grew a liking on her and I’m left all alone.”

“Tzuyu,I-.”

“No.Stop.Why would I even bother telling you.You like her,right?Go on then.I’m sorry for interfering in your love life,Son Chaeyoung.”

“Tzuyu,please let me-“

“I’m going to sleep.Good night.”

With everything happening too fast in that moment,Chaeyoung just sat there,eyes on Tzuyu who’s now already in her blanket,backfacing Chaeyoung.The cub knew she wasn’t asleep yet but the girl needed some space and Chaeyoung respected that.Backing down from her space,Chaeyoung turned the lights off,cutting that night off immediately.

…

Few days later…

Chaeyoung’s POV

It’s been a few days since I last saw Tzuyu.She had been avoiding me every time we meet in the campus too.Waking up earlier than she should had,sleeping way before her schedule,using different path than she usually used and I don’t feel good about this.Perhaps I should tell Mina but she’s busy practicing and I don’t want to bother her with my issue.Plus,Tzuyu even mentioned that I grew a liking on Mina,that I like her.I don’t know anymore.This is so hard.Who should I depend on in this kind of situation.

End of Chaeyoung’s POV

As Chaeyoung was in deep thoughts that she didn’t realise Mina was staring at her,the Japanese stopped her practice and just walked to sit beside the Korean.Leaning her back against the cold wall,she reached for Chaeyoung’s empty hand.

“Hey…What’s wrong?”

“H-Huh?Umm…Nothing”

The artist looked at the dancer beside her.She was smiling,her hand was holding onto the artist’s.Squeezing it but not too hard to the point it might hurt.It felt nice and Chaeyoung could feel her thumping heart before looking back at the mirror in front of them,trying to distract herself.

“Really?You look like you’ve been thinking hard about something..”

“No,it’s just nothing..But..”

Chaeyoung looked at her side,finding Mina smiling at her again.It never left her face.

“But?”

“But you are the one who looks like it…You look kinda tired too,Mina…”

Hearing the unexpected statement,Mina shook her head.

“Haha no I’m fine…”

“Really?Maybe you should reduce your practice session a bit..”

“No it’s okay,I’m good~You should really tell me about you now…You can’t lie to me,Chaengie~”

Staring into each other’s eyes,Mina changed the subject.

“It’s about Tzuyu…She…She confessed to me…”

Mix feelings.That’s what Mina felt when she heard the younger.She knew that there will be time when Chaeyoung would leave her for her lover but this was unexpected early.To think that Tzuyu was the one Chaeyoung grew up with,spent time the longest,Mina was at completely lost.She could felt the sharp pain her chest with tears beginning to form in her eyes at the worst thought of Chaeyoung becoming someone else’s.The Japanese took a deep breath to calm herself before continue her question.

“What did you answer?”

“…I didn’t get to say anything..She’s avoiding me now…”

“I see…”

Mina looked at her lap as she asked once again after a moment of silence.

“What do you feel about her?”

Mina knew she should be happy that Chaeyoung was being loved but the fact that the one’s loving Chaeyoung wasn’t her,cut her deeply.

“She had being with me the longest…Understand me the most..Protecting me always…Saving me…From my bullies…”

“Chaeyoung robooo~~”

“Heartless Chaeyounggg”

“Boring Chaey-“

The girls carried on with their bullying before suddenly a cute stern voice shouted,stopping them.

“Stopppp”

A girl with a height unlike her age came,somehow manage to scare the naughty kids a little.

“I-It’s Tzuyu…”

“Let’s go Let’s go,we shouldn’t mess with her~”

“W-What are you talking about~We can umm fight her..L-Look..Yarr Chou Tzuyu,why are you here???”

“Because Chaeyoung is my friend and you can’t bully her~I won’t let youuu”

The tall girl stood in front of the petite girl,protecting her from the other girls.

“W-we are not bullying herr~We are just teasing her a bitt.”

“Liee~You are lying~I will tell ahjumma if you bully Chaeyoung again”

“W-what umm n-no l-lets go~.”

Seeing how the girls quickly ran away from them,Tzuyu then take the drawing paper on the floor before giving it back to Chaeyoung.

“Here,don’t be scared of them,okay?I will protect you from now on.

“She’s always there by my side even when I said I don’t need her…I didn’t get to appreciate her much but she never leave me..I…I like her…”

- To be continued -