Momo has been dating the guy for about two months before Tzuyu had met him. Momo doesn’t gush about him to Tzuyu— no, theyre not that kind of friends. Momo has Sana for that (Or should have Sana for that. Apparently, Sana and Momo had been fighting.) All Tzuyu knows is 9:00pm will come and Momo will have that smile on her face when her phone starts ringing, and she’ll lock herself up in her room till the morning comes.

Momo didn’t try to bulldoze this one into her circle of friends the way she did with Nayeon. If Nayeon didn’t win Tzuyu’s vote, then this one didn’t win Sana’s.

“Tzuyu, tell Momo about the Ugly Sai Daochan!”

“The what?!” Momo looks at them. Trust Sana to tell nonsense and loop Tzuyu in it. This is what happens when they hang out too much.

Tzuyu sighs, not wanting to get involved. But it’s the first time she saw the two fighting. It’s been an hour. Momo had introduced Heechul to them, they went to the mall, had dinner, and then the three of them are supposed to have a movie night. Tzuyu doesn’t even have time to process Momo saying she now has a boyfriend, when Sana started blasting her machine gun.

They had been fighting even before Tzuyu can play the movie and they hadn’t stopped. Sana nudges her with her foot, and Tzuyu glares at her in response. Sana doesn’t turn to her, just continues to glare at Momo. She rolls her eyes before saying, “It’s when you think one person is attractive because there’s no other option.”

Momo gasps, “If you just give him a chance—"

“Look, I get it. He’s nice. In a sea of trashy men in the corporate world, he might look like a golden boy. But did you miss the flashing red signs about the fact that he’s way older than you?”

She meets him in her internship. They don’t work in the same company, but they do in the same building. Momo said it was like destiny. They would meet each other at the elevator lobby and would exchange few glances here and there. And the one time Momo was rushing in, with coffee orders in her hands for her seniors, he had helped him carry it for her. And then… they started spending lunches together… and then Heechul would drive them home. And the next thing Sana knows, Momo is introducing him to her as her boyfriend. Go figure.

“Should that outweigh how he is as a person then? He treats me well! We talk about different things—” Sana makes a face everytime Momo talks that Momo grabs a pillow to smack Sana – all this happening while Tzuyu is seated on the couch, fiddling with her fingers as she stare at the TV. Is this what having fighting parents feel like?

“I don’t know what Nayeon did to scar you, but why swear off on girls just because the last one didn’t work out?!”

“Are you seriously making this about a gender?! Biuality is valid—”

Tzuyu rolls her eyes and decides to stand up. The ‘moving out’ proposition came back blaring like a neon light in her blank mind once again. When Sana told her, she didn’t like Momo’s boyfriend, Tzuyu was delighted and unofficially declared Sana as her new favorite person (next to Jeongyeon). But the title has been revoked when the of them go off like it’s a heated battle of ping pong. It was so weird for her, that she’s actually scared. For as long as she can remember, the two of them had always gotten along.

“He’s settled in life, he knows what he wants!”

“You’ve been dating for what? Are you actually thinking of marrying him?! Who are you?”

They are convinced Momo’s just that type of friend who dates someone her friends don’t approve of. And if Nayeon almost caused a wreck between Momo and Tzuyu, then Momo’s just scared to rock her boat with Sana when she barely saved the other one when it was going through the storm. So if she had to hide this one from her friends to save both relationships, then she would.

Unlike Tzuyu, Sana didn’t adjust, didn’t keep a distance—Sana didn’t even try to be civil. She spends time with Momo and Heechul and didn’t shy away from showing her dislike towards the guy. She would be snarky towards him, she’d be sarcastic, and jokes that he’s too pretty to be straight (if Tzuyu can remember, the first time she met him, Sana was first to introduce him as Momo’s beard.) In Tzuyu’s opinion, Sana had been outright offensive. That, or Sana and Heechul are secretly long-time friends that they could joke like that (very unlikely).

If Heechul isn’t serious with Momo and doesn’t have the patience, he would’ve called it quits on Day 1.

And maybe that’s why Tzuyu promises she would try harder. Momo would always go an extra mile for her, and she acted immaturely just because they had someone new in their life. (This is what Tzuyu had convinced herself, and nothing will change her mind.)

But never had Tzuyu thought trying harder meant choosing a lingerie for Momo to wear on their date. It’s like everytime Tzuyu buries the feeling, it forces its ugly head out pushing to be recognized. Tzuyu knows Momo is going out with him one evening. She has a fancy dress ready, her hair done well, and Momo dragged Tzuyu in her room with just a robe on and positioned her on the edge of the bed.

Tzuyu blinks her eyes fast, then widens them when Momo unties the knot of her robe slowly, revealing her black lingerie.

What?

“So? You like?”

Tzuyu suddenly feels tightening at the sight in front of her. And if Jeongyeon was here, she’d and say she’s having a gay mental breakdown. All the toning Momo got from cheer practice is definitely paying off. How can Nayeon have let this one go?

Tzuyu tried her best to meet Momo’s waiting look. She breathes slowly before her lips and saying, “Not something I would wear, but it looks… good on you.”

Momo grimaced at Tzuyu’s reaction, checking herself in the mirror. She mumbles, “Really? You don’t like this one?”

Before Tzuyu can answer, Momo had already started undressing. Tzuyu busies herself looking around Momo’s room, touching the dress that’s laid out on the bed. She regrets not bringing her phone, but in her defense, Momo didn’t even give her a chance to comprehend what was happening when she intertwines their fingers and pulls her towards her room. It probably didn’t help that Momo smells so good. She told her she’s trying a new shampoo, and Tzuyu would say she likes it very much.

“Tonight’s the night.” Momo kept telling her. And although the last thing Tzuyu wanted to know is that, she stayed sitting politely at the edge of Momo’s bed, waiting if Momo needs her help with something, Momo faces the mirror, checking angles of herself. “It’s just so weird… Nayeon and I used to do it all the time… but now, we’ve never even gotten to second base!”

Momo turns to her and if Tzuyu isn’t supposed to be there to look at every inch of Momo, she would’ve looked away. “How about this? Do you like it?”

The one Momo is trying is more revealing than the first one she tried. Tzuyu supposes, the red is more enticing than the black one. And she doesn’t know why she can feel her face heat up at the sight of Momo when she had seen her roommate in their shared bathroom. Shouldn’t that be more ual? Almost watching someone take a bath? Although Tzuyu would argue she had never watched Momo wash herself.

Momo groans, reading Tzuyu’s facial expression, “You look like you’re in pain. So I’m guessing it’s a No?”

Tzuyu quickly shook her head and swallowed the lump in . Momo had already turned round and ready to take it off. This one had more strings and Tzuyu thinks she’d struggle more into taking it off. Momo sighs, panic clearly written in her face as she starts talking fast, the same way she entangles the string on her back. Tzuyu immediately closing her eyes before the lingerie drops on the floor, “Doesn’t he find me attractive? I mean, I think it’s sweet that he’s a gentleman but… I’m hot right? You’d get on this, right?”

Tzuyu nods, but her faced is turned sidewards, her eyes closed shut. Momo chuckles at this and said, “You don’t look very convincing. In fact, you look like you find me repulsive. Should I be offended, Tzuyu?”

Tzuyu shakes her fervently, but she still has her eyes closed tight, her fists now gripping Momo’s sheets. Momo finds this cute.

“How are you still awkward with me? You watch me shower!”

“I don’t.”

“You know what I mean.” Tzuyu can imagine Momo waving her hand. “You’ve seen me ! Come on, open your eyes!”

“Are you dressed?”

“Why don’t you open your eyes and find out?”

“That sounds like a No.”

Then Tzuyu feels a presence in front of her. She grips on the sheets tighter, more determined to keep her eyes closed. She feels a hand on her chin, turning her face but she refused.

“Open your eyes.”

“No.”

“Please?”

Tzuyu didn’t answer, Tzuyu didn’t even move.

Then she feels Momo cup her face, her thumbs brushing over cheeks. “Don’t you find me attractive, Tzuyu?”

She can feel Momo’s breath on her face, so she must have been really close to Tzuyu. Still, she’s not sure why Momo would lower her voice. Then she feels Momo move her hands from her face to her neck then to her shoulders, looping it behind her neck, hugging her.

Tzuyu’s heart started beating wildly against her chest, thinking that Momo is against her, it makes her more determined not to move her hands, afraid she’d touch her inappropriately accidentally. Tzuyu is sure Momo would feel her heart beat by the way she pushes herself closer to her. Momo now settles her head on the crook of Tzuyu’s head.

“I’m sorry. I usually have Sana for this, but she just…” Momo took a deep breath, and even without looking, Tzuyu would know what Momo would look like. She’d crease her eyebrows, she’d frown, one side of dipping lower than the other, and she’d scrunch her nose, overthinking.

If Sana is here, she would hype her up: telling her she’s hot and pretty, and all the adjectives Sana knows will be thrown around one after the other. If Sana is here, she’d build Momo’s confidence, even dance with her to pump her up. If Sana is here, Momo wouldn’t even doubt herself. If Sana is here, it’d be the opposite of what Tzuyu is doing.

Tzuyu finds the courage to move her hands and place it on Momo’s waist. She finds relief, when instead Momo’s skin, she comes across a soft fabric that’s probably Tzuyu’s oversized shirt. Then she opens her eyes to turn to Momo. “You look really beautiful, unnie. He would be so stupid not to appreciate it.”

“You… think?” Momo said as she looks up to Tzuyu, meeting her gaze.

Tzuyu would actually feel bad, she fails to be Momo’s emotional support. She doesn’t have to like the guy, but she needs to respect their relationship, she repeats in her head. She nods, smiling encouragingly at her. “The second one is more revealing, but I like the first one better. It’s simple… but makes you curious on how you are without it. Like the message is clear but there’s still a mystery to it.”

“You’re a cute one, Tzuyu.” Momo laughs, tapping Tzuyu’s cheek.

“Zip me up?”

Tzuyu stands up and walks towards Momo wordlessly. She stops behind Momo and helped her with her dress. She meets her eyes on the mirror and smiles her way.

Momo relaxes her shoulders then puts both of her hands on the side. “You would’ve liked him, Tzuyu. I… I don’t know why Sana doesn’t…”

Tzuyu rolls her eyes and thinks she could list down at least 5 things why Sana doesn’t.

“If she gives him a chance…” She looks down and puts her hands in front of her, fiddling with her fingers. “She would know he cares for me and treats me well.”

Tzuyu realizes, it must have been hard for Momo. To not share this part of her life with someone she cares deeply. Is this how she is when Tzuyu would find an excuse to not spend time with her and Nayeon?

She swallows the bitter taste in , drowning it in the pit of her stomach. She pulls both of the ends of Momo’s dress, and slowly danced her fingers on Momo’s exposed skin on top of her spine down to the zipper on her lower back. She sees Momo arched her back at the contact and she apologized quickly thinking it’s because of her cold hands.

“You should invite him on Thursday.” The words were out even before Tzuyu could think it over.

Tzuyu finished zipping up Momo’s dress. When she meets her eyes on the mirror, she’s confused by Momo’s reaction.

“But… we just started having our movie nights back.”

“But I do miss them coming over. I miss Jeongyeon-unnie cooking.” She paused, chuckling at Momo’s frown. “Maybe if Dahyun-unnie is there, you and Sana-unnie would stop biting each other’s head.”

Momo still look displeased. “We both know things changed when Nayeon joined last time. And… I guess I’m scared for things to change again. I finally got you back… And Sana still hates him. I don’t think she’d even care if there are people around, she’d still go out of her way to humiliate him.”

“You don’t have to worry about her—”

“Oh, I’m not worried about her. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I know she’ll get over it. I’m worried about you.”

“Me?”

“I don’t want things to change between us again.”

Tzuyu doesn’t even know what she’s thinking. But she did wrap her hands in front of Momo, locking her on a hug, putting her head over her shoulder. It’s the first time she ever gave Momo a backhug. It’s the first time she gave anyone a backhug. Momo is in pure shock.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to deal with it last time. I promise I’ll try harder now.”

How to deal with what is what Momo wanted to ask. But having Tzuyu wrapped around her like that has frozen all her functions.

She gets herself together and started relaxing in Tzuyu’s embrace. “We still have the bathroom right? It’s still our thing?”

“She’s just getting ready.” Tzuyu is seated on the couch, her eyes trained on the TV. Heechul is dressed nicely, fixing his tux as he takes a seat next to her.

He slides in a small box on the coffee table in front of them and taps it with two fingers. “This one’s near the office. Momo said you like the cupcakes in there. She’d always pass by it after work.”

Tzuyu nods, still not removing her ey