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41

"Heyya Chaeyoungie, Minari!" Momo greeted, her voice bright as the other girls filed into the apartment.

"Whoa, you're all here," Mina exclaimed, surprised.

"We're crashing here again!" Nayeon announced.

"They're hella broke, so we're having a drink here," Jihyo explained, her arm affectionately draped over Chaeyoung's shoulder.

Chaeyoung laughed. "Sure, let's have a barbecue party tonight!"

Smiles lit up every face except Dahyun's, a shadow of worry clouding her features.

The girls set up the barbecue stand on the veranda, the sky darkening as they began.  They arranged the liquor on the floor, settling into a circle. The familiar smells of grilling meat and marshmallows filled the air, a comforting echo of their shared past.

Chaeyoung smiled, a warmth spreading through her.  Since meeting these girls, she'd never felt truly alone.  She watched Nayeon and Jihyo bicker playfully, Sana's flirty banter with a flustered Tzuyu, and Momo's obvious adoration for Dahyun.  And then there was Mina—Chaeyoung's own silent, unspoken love.

They both knew, yet three simple words felt inadequate to express the depth of their feelings.  They'd steal glances, the warmth in their hearts a shared secret, expressed not in words, but in the quiet understanding between them.

The hot coffee and delicious breakfasts, the clumsy jokes and stammering sentences, the silly trips and impromptu kitchen dances under the refrigerator light—it was their paradise.

The night flew by, laughter and good cheer filling the air as everyone ate and drank. Then, Dahyun, her fear of loss finally overwhelming her, slammed her glass down, silencing the chatter.

"Dahyun unnie, are you drunk?" Tzuyu asked gently, taking the glass from Dahyun's trembling hand.

"Tzu…" Dahyun whispered.

Tzuyu hummed, and the others turned to them.

"Remember when Chaeyoung wore that tiger costume in high school?" Dahyun asked, a strange wistfulness in her voice.

Tzuyu, confused, nodded. The others erupted in teasing laughter as Nayeon found a picture on social media and showed it around.  But Mina's attention remained fixed on Dahyun, whose expression was unreadable.

Dahyun sat silently, staring at her empty glass, her eyes clouded with a deep sadness.

"She's too precious," Dahyun murmured, her voice barely a breath, "that I couldn't stop myself from becoming her friend back then."

Silence fell over the group.

"Too precious," Dahyun repeated, her voice cracking, "it almost breaks my heart."

She looked up, fighting back tears.

"Tzuyu, are you listening?" she asked, her gaze distant.

"What is it, Dahyun-unnie?" Tzuyu replied softly.

"I know I've been asking too much of you… unreasonable favors, nonsense trips… I always drag you along, and you always put up with it."

The silence was heavy, the unspoken emotions thick in the air.

"But this request," Dahyun said, finally meeting Tzuyu's gaze, tears streaming down her face, "I assure you, it's the first favor I've ever truly asked from the bottom of my heart…"

"Please…" she choked out, her voice barely audible, "...help me convince Chaeyoung to take the therapy. She's ill. I know I can't convince her myself…"

"Aish, Dahyun-unnie, don't say that. We're here to celebrate—" Chaeyoung tried to laugh it off, to deny it, but…

"Why is something wrong, Chae?" Jihyo asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Ah, no, it's nothing. Geez, Dahyun, you're drunk. Let's not talk about it. We're here to celebrate, rig—"

"There's nothing to celebrate when I'm slowly losing you!" Dahyun cried out.

Tzuyu's eyes widened in shock.  She stood up abruptly and rushed to Chaeyoung, grabbing her shoulder.

"Y-you… w-what…? W-what is Dahyun talking about?" she stammered, her voice trembling.

Chaeyoung avoided her gaze, biting her lip.

Dahyun sank to the ground, her head bowed.

"Please… Chae… I don't want to lose you," she sobbed.

Tzuyu stepped back, retreating to the edge of the veranda, leaving Chaeyoung sitting there, tears welling in her eyes, watching her best friend crumpled on the ground.

Mina, her heart shattering, cupped Chaeyoung's face in her hands.

"Chae… what… is Dahyun saying, huh? Tell us, please… tell me… please…" Mina whispered, her voice barely audible.

The others watched in stunned silence, the scene unfolding like a heartbreaking movie.

A long, agonizing silence stretched between them, before Chaeyoung finally swallowed hard and spoke.

"I'm… terminally ill," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper, a faint smile playing on her lips.  "Got about three months to live."

A wave of grief washed over them all, a heavy weight settling on their chests.  Tzuyu and Dahyun burst into tears almost instantly, the others following close behind, pulling the two weeping girls into a group hug.

"No… this isn't true, Chae, please… tell me it's not true," Mina pleaded, her voice choked with emotion.

"Sorry," Chaeyoung whispered, a single tear escaping her eye, tracing a path down her cheek. "Sorry."