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22

"Where's Tzuyu and Dahyun?" Chaeyoung asked, noticing the absence of two friends amidst the lunchtime chaos. Tzuyu was still giving Sana the cold shoulder after that kiss.

"I saw Tzuyu heading to the library," Momo replied.

Jihyo and Nayeon exchanged knowing glances with Chaeyoung.  Mina and Sana admitted they hadn't seen Dahyun all morning.

"Unnie, you know something?" Chaeyoung asked, confused by their cryptic looks.

Nayeon sighed. "Okay, we saw something the other night…"

"Hey, we agreed we wouldn't tell them," Jihyo protested.

"They deserve to know. She's our friend," Nayeon countered.

"But it's not our story to tell," Jihyo insisted.

"Unnie, please, tell me. Maybe I can help," Chaeyoung pleaded, sitting between them.

Jihyo hesitated, then gave in. She recounted Dahyun's furious outburst, the destruction of her song lyrics, the silent tears, and the aftermath of shredded paper.

Gasps and frowns rippled through the group.

"Can you fix the pages?" Sana asked hopefully.

"No way.  It's beyond repair," Nayeon said grimly.

"I'll try calling her," Chaeyoung offered, pulling out her phone.

The others watched expectantly.

Chaeyoung sighed. "Her phone's off."

"What happened to her?" Nayeon asked, concern etched on her face.

The others shrugged, equally worried.

"But we have another problem," Jihyo said, massaging her temples.

"What?" Mina asked.

"We lost our composer. We can't present just one song for the event," Jihyo explained, the weight of the situation heavy in her voice.

"Why? What about Chan?" Sana suggested.

"We asked him, but he's only doing drums," Nayeon replied.

Silence descended, a heavy blanket of worry.  Then, Mina spoke, her voice bright.

"Chaeyoung."

All eyes turned to her.

"Chaeyoung can write songs!" Mina exclaimed, a happy smile lighting up her face.

"Chaeyoung?" Jihyo asked, surprised.

"Yeah! I heard her sing one she wrote!" Mina replied, her enthusiasm undeterred.

Chaeyoung, mortified, buried her face in her hands.  Mina's smile widened at her friend's embarrassment.

"Chaeng~" Nayeon cooed, reaching for Chaeyoung.

"Chaeyoung~" Jihyo echoed, earning groans from the others.

"I-I don't think I ca—" Chaeyoung started, but Mina interrupted.

"You can, Chaeyoung," Mina said, her smile sincere, her words carrying an unexpected weight.

Mina's words were like a spell, breaking through Chaeyoung's self-doubt.

"I…," Chaeyoung mumbled, fiddling with her fingers, her cheeks flushed.  "I'll try."

A collective "YES!" erupted around her.

 

"Hey, you look amazing! Something good happen?" Jeongyeon asked Chaeyoung, who was radiating an unusual glow.  They were in the hospital cafeteria, Jeongyeon undergoing rehab, Chaeyoung having decided to join her for dinner.

"W-what? No, this is just me," Chaeyoung said defensively, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Hmm, sure," Jeongyeon teased, her eyes twinkling.

"Y-yeah Unnie, just eat," Chaeyoung chuckled, feeding her sister.

Chaeyoung's mind drifted to Mina—their dance, Mina's magical words, the feeling of being with her.  It was a feeling she never expected to crave.

"Hey, Chaeyoung, can I ask you something?" Jeongyeon said, her voice hesitant.

"Hmm Unnie?"

"Well uh… gosh, this is embarrassing…" Jeongyeon mumbled, rubbing her neck.

Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow, curious.

Jeongyeon took a deep breath. "Um… are you… dating Mina?"

Chaeyoung nearly choked on her food, shaking her head vehemently. "W-what are you saying? Of course not!"

She almost laughed when Jeongyeon sighed in relief.

"Whoa, I thought you were dating her." Jeongyeon paused, then blurted out, "Um… can you bring Mina here tomorrow? I… I want to see her."

A blush colored Jeongyeon's cheeks.  Chaeyoung saw it, and a sharp pang of something—sadness?— pierced her chest. Her sister, the person she loved more than anything, wanted the girl she was falling for.

"I… I think I'm interested in her, Chae…" Jeongyeon confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

Chaeyoung stared, speechless.  The pain in her chest intensified, dulling the taste of the food in her mouth.  She wanted to object, to keep Mina for herself.  But the crushing guilt over Jeongyeon's accident, the weight of her own self-blame, silenced her protest.  She had no right to happiness.

She simply nodded, her sister's excited expression a stark contrast to the turmoil within her.

 

Flashback:

Jeongyeon, ecstatic about passing her exams, wanted a family celebration. They went to a resort, Chaeyoung overjoyed for her sister.

"Chaeng, look! Ostriches!" Jeongyeon exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

They spent the day happily exploring, enjoying each other's company.  As evening approached, they started walking back to the hotel.

Jeongyeon spotted a shop across the street.

"Chae, let's buy something there!" she said, pointing.

"Eh? I'll wait here, Unnie. My legs are killing me," Chaeyoung said, waving her off.

That was the mistake.

Jeongyeon crossed the street when blinding headlights bore down on her.

"Huh? But it's red—" Jeongyeon's words were cut short by a deafening roar.

"UNNIE!!!!!"

 

Chaeyoung sat bolt upright, gasping for air, sweat beading on her forehead.  Her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Another nightmare," she whispered, the familiar terror chilling her to the bone.

These nightmares had plagued her for four years, the guilt a relentless tormentor.  She couldn't forgive herself.  Sleepless nights were the norm, the vivid images of that day replaying endlessly in her mind.

She wiped her face, biting her lip to hold back the tears.  Closing her eyes, she tried to banish the horrific scene.  Finally calming, she looked at her sister, sleeping peacefully.

Quietly, Chaeyoung slipped out of the room.  Her mind was consumed by two things: Jeongyeon and Mina.

Jeongyeon liked Mina.  The thought echoed in her mind, a dull ache in her chest.  She felt a tug, a sharp pain, but she couldn't allow herself to cry.  She shouldn't.

She loved her sister more than anything.  She'd give her anything…

Even the woman she loved.