Sana flipped her phone open. Her frown deepened when she found no new messages. 

"Sana, are you coming or not?"

Instead of answering, Sana craned her neck to the school courtyard one more time for a face. However, her arm was yanked the opposite way.

"Come on… it's pointless to wait for him." Jisoo tried to appease her, despite the apparent glare. "He's a waste of your time."

"That's right," Nayeon added, "Let's waste Ji's time and money on fried chicken instead!"

"Mwoh? Chicken again?"

The group suddenly dispersed like the red sea as Momo subtly pushed Chaeyoung forward, the smallest of them all wearing a pout as innocent as a cub. 

"Unnie, it's Valentine's day and no one is bringing me to a chicken date."

"And that's my concern because…?"

"You're as less as all of us." Jeongyeon answered with a nonchalant shrug, the Thomas looked-alike Jisoo almost jumping on her before Nayeon pulled the latter towards the school gate.

Sana began to panic as her friends left one by one. She gave another hopeful look at the students loitering around, only to have her phone snatched by Momo.

"Yah, give that back!"

Momo threads their arms together, not before rolling her eyes at her perturbed friend. "Stop wasting your time on that scumbag–"

"Don't call Mark like that!"

Momo winced from Sana's outburst, "Oh jeez calm your loud . You're gonna break my ears one of these days."

"But you don't get to call him like that." Sana mumbled, or more like grumbled, as she lowered her voice. "He must have something urgent to do… you know how busy he is as the captain of the football club, with meetings and practices."

"Too busy to even tell you he has other plans?"

Momo suddenly jutted her chin to the opposite sidewalk, and Sana was left gaping at the sight.

Right before her eyes, was her crush walking together with their Home Economics teacher, Miss Jung. It seemed like a harmless view of a student accompanying his favourite teacher to the subway, if not for the obvious love-struck, idiotic swoon look Mark was sporting.

Sana didn't understand the emotion; her chest tightening in discomfort, fingers trembling in abrupt coldness… even her breath was getting erratic.

But Sana kept her cool, tried to keep it cool by keeping a poker face.

Momo never received an answer from her question, only Sana's frown and rigid stature keeping her company for the rest of their walk to their favourite karaoke place.

*

Sana hummed along the songs blasting through the fire staircase door, at times sighing to herself.

The group were having a merry time yelling their hearts out to breakup songs when Sana excused herself for a toilet break. She didn’t feel like singing, what more of drowning herself with more heartbreaking lyrics and sappy MVs on the TV. It only made her more sad, the scene playing annoyingly in her head.

The night was a little windy, and Sana groaned as a lock of her hair strayed into . 

“Aish, the hell…” She spat the hair out, at the same time the soft rustling of leaves caught her attention. Sana didn’t know why, but the weary-looking plant seemed to mock her with its scrawny twig and drying leaves.

“What are you looking at?” She frowned, “My life isn't as pitiful as yours, you know? I only want my crush to look at me, to notice me… but I’m just a nobody to him.”

Her frown deepened. She sounded petty, a lot more pitiful than the pot of plant. It didn’t need people’s attention, being here on the probably abandoned fire staircase all by itself. But Sana, oh the ever affectionate Sana wants it, craves everyone’s attention.

“He didn't even reply my text yet... can you believe it?!”

Sana exhaled through her nose, only to grimace as quickly. She is starting to sound like an obsessive fangirl, and that’s the last thing she wants to be.

“Why am I even talking to you?” She prodded a branch on the verge of breaking apart. She pouted, “Are you even thriving out here? You look sad and… dry. Like you need more soil. Should I move you to a better place?”

“She just needs water.”

“Huh?”

Sana twisted around, a face she never expected was smiling down at her from the upper level. The long limbs almost skipped two steps at a time, and Sana had never felt so pleased to see the yellow ponytail bouncing along the contrasting dark sky. 

The girl stood tall before her, donning a hoodie and sweatpants… not the usual varsity jacket Sana was used to.

“Doodoong is fine here,” Tzuyu shows the water bottle in her hand. “She’s only thirsty.”

“Eh?” Sana’s eyebrow knitted together, "Who's... Doodoong?"

"The poor lady in the pot."

Sana blankly nodded, watching the tall girl bent down to pour the half-filled bottle onto the “thirsty Doodong”. It was an astounding scene, but it managed to plant a growing smile on Sana’s face.

“What are you doing here?”

“I live upstairs.”

“Eh? No way!”

“The chicken place is nearby and the rent is cheap.” Tzuyu’s fingers effortlessly crushed the empty plastic bottle, and that simple action somehow gave rise to a weird feeling in Sana’s gut. “What about you?”

“Hm? What, me?” She pointed to herself, which looked dumb now she realized. “Ehehe! Just… taking some air, you know? It’s suffocating and loud inside.”

Yup, she’s dumb like that, Sana chided herself. She was gonna get laughed at, for sure, knowing how lame that excuse is.

However, it wasn’t so. 

Tzuyu merely hummed, and their conversation halted at that.

Sana lifted her head for a peek, finding Tzuyu peering down the road as she leaned forward on the guard rail. There was a gentle blow of wind, and Tzuyu looked so soft – loose tendrils of yellow dancing with the breeze and brown eyes sparkling bright, reflected from the streetlight. 

Sana could see the girl pondering about something, only for the bright doe eyes to catch her gaze.

“Do you mind late night snacks?”

Well, she was indeed having a party inside consisting of everything greasy and sugary. A part of her wanted to lie that she’s a health freak, not sure why. But a part of her couldn’t resist the glint of hope in Tzuyu’s eyes asking her to say “No, I don’t mind at all.”

And that’s what she actually said, along with a “Why?”

“I’m kinda craving ramen and banana milk.” A shrug, and a dimple. "So... mateu kaja?"

Sana blinked once, twice… still in her dumbfounded state, only for a memory to cross her mind.

Oh… Oh.

She burst out laughing, brushed her bum from dust and made a small jump in front of Tzuyu.

“Mateu kaja!”

*

The mart was vacant of people, only a cashier was manning the place who at times would send daggers at the two girls occupying a table at the far corner. They weren’t really noisy, but their controversial conversation might have earned him a scoff or two from some customers.

"What's so special about that dude, anyway? He doesn't seem like a fun guy to celebrate."

"But history said otherwise."

"Historians are boring. I mean, not to be that typical condescending girl, but I can come up with a more creative day than that Valentine saint."

"What are you suggesting?" Tzuyu casually asked, taking her turn with the cup of ramen they shared.

"I don't know, something like…" Sana scrunched her nose, "Like... Sana day."

There was a choke sound, of coughing, which gradually turned to laughter. Sana didn’t take offense to Tzuyu's reaction; it wasn't one where she was being ridiculed. It sounded more of amusement, Sana would say.

"What should we do then?”

“About…?”

“On Sana Day."

It was just a casual talk, of friendly nonsense chat over ramen and banana milk and mostly of Sana's complaint of not getting a reply from her crush. But never Sana had imagined herself to be deep in thought about a Sana day she came up with on a whim. 

Sana had her fair share of an ideal Valentine’s day. Go to an amusement park and try all couple-rides, watch a romance movie on a couple couch at the theater, have a fancy-schmancy dinner with candles and roses, and end the night having ice cream while holding hands.

That was what the old Sana wished for.

“It doesn’t have to be the cliche things people do, you know? I want to do something different, something that makes me go AWW and WOAHH at the same time.”

Tzuyu slurped the last strand of noodle, “Like bungee jumping?”

Sana almost spurted her milk, “Yah! That’s too extreme! I mean, like a surprise ride on a hot air balloon over the sunset, or a date in a dog cafe full of fluffy samoyeds, maybe an overnight car ride along the freeways, loudly blasting our cheesy love songs without a care in the world.”

“Or having late night snacks of ramen and banana milk?”

Tzuyu added in with an innocent smile. Sana narrowed her eyes, “You’re so unromantic, Tzuyu.”

“Sometimes,” The girl waved her chopsticks like a wand, “simple things like this have their own magic too.”

Then she placed the chopsticks neatly beside their shared ramen cup, and Sana had her jaw agape. Their previously messy table had miraculously turned neat and clean without her noticing. 

“How did you…?”

“Magic.” Tzuyu snapped her fingers with a grin, “And you might want to check your phone... it might be your crush.”

Sana rolled her eyes from Tzuyu’s teasing voice. She grabbed her phone that was left forgotten on the table and true to Tzuyu’s prediction, she received a couple of texts. 

“Oh, shoot. Momo is waiting for me… they’re already leaving.”

“Sorry, didn’t think I would take up all your time.”

Sana quickly shook her head from Tzuyu’s guilty look, “No, don’t feel like that! To be honest, I really need some distraction tonight… didn’t expect it to come in the form of ramen and banana milk.”

Tzuyu let out a soft giggle as she held the mart’s door, allowing Sana to step out first. The night air greeted them, prompting Sana to hide her hands in the pocket of her coat. It wasn’t that cold, but she felt like hiding them because weirdly enough, she didn’t want to leave yet.

“You know…”

“Yes?” Sana looked up expectantly, despite not being sure what she was expecting.

“Someday, I really think you will experience the special Sana day filled with AWW and WOAHH you wished for.”

Giggles filled the quiet street as they crossed it, side by side. But Sana’s laughter died down when Tzuyu stopped and took her arm out of the comfort of the coat’s warm pocket. Long fingers flitted against Sana’s wrist, coaxing Sana’s chilled fist to unwind, luring Sana’s fixated gaze on the alluring doe eyes down to their hands.

A soft gasp left Sana’s mouth as something was placed on her palm; a small bar of Milka chocolate.

“So until then, keep being yourself. Hopefully, on that fateful special day, I get to experience Sana day as well.” 

It felt like a deal, an undecided promise that seemed too far-fetched for a teenage Sana to comprehend. She didn’t get it, didn’t get what Tzuyu really meant by those cryptic words. However, instead of an explanation, she was met with a smile – so dazzling but bashful.

“Goodnight, Sana… and Happy Valentine’s day.”

Her hand was itching to reach out, itching to hold Tzuyu from turning around to leave. But a shout from Momo dampened her desire. 

“Oi! It’s cold and I have a dog to feed at home! Let’s go!”

Sana scurried towards her friend, but not before casting another glance over her shoulder. 

This time, instead of a frown, her lips stretched to her cheekbones. 

She waited until Tzuyu’s figure disappeared into the back alley of the karaoke place, the girl probably used the fire escape to get home. The walk back home was filled with Momo’s whining of her disappearance and the incessant complaints from their friends of a certain crush of hers. 

“Sorry, we shouldn’t talk about him behind your back.”

Oh yeah, she did notice a reply from him. “It’s fine.”

Sana received a disbelieved look, “Really? It’s… fine?”

She responded with a firm nod, which only added more suspicions to her friend. 

“Yah! Don’t tell me… he said something, didn’t he? You two talked about it!” Momo gasped in an exaggerated manner. “That’s why you’re smiling like a creep right now, aren’t you?”

Sana cackled out loud, not giving Momo the response she wanted. She walked ahead, leaving Momo grumbling to herself, hands still tuck inside the safety of her pockets.

Yes, he did reply to her text, which was still unread.

Yes, she was smiling, but not like a crazy psychopath as Momo claimed.

And no, it wasn’t because they made up, not that they were fighting in the first place.

Sana wanted to say it was because of the Milka in her hand that had her mood lifted significantly. But that answer would only drive Momo to further madness. Because Sana herself was trying to persuade the same thing – was it the Milka, or the ramen and banana milk, or just… tonight on a whole.

Because maybe, just maybe, magic does exist in simple things.

A/N: if i get less than 5 comments, i'm swerving to the angsty lane ehehe