𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 〡𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐍𝐆

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒: 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

Sana quietly peeked into the room, and smiled softly when she realized that Dahyun was sleeping on Momo's lap, while the older girl just looked confused as to what she should do. Tiptoeing across maroon rugs and hardwood floors, she sank down onto the couch, right next to Momo, who breathed a sigh of relief and immediately transferred Dahyun to Sana's lap.

"She fell asleep that quickly?"

"Yeah. Her piano lesson got extended. She was apologizing and everything for coming late - I had to tell her that it really wasn't her fault. It was cute, though."

"What else did you tell her?" asked Sana sharply, brown eyes boring into the darker pair. Momo gulped. Albeit softly, they didn't want Dahyun to wake up.

"Sana..."

"Momo..."

"I mean, it's just so hard!" Momo whispered, looking desperately at Sana, who's face was still impassive. "Should I just go - Hey Dahyun I've got this huge crush on you since I don't know how long and I would really really like to date you, of course only if you want to - and then stare at her like an idiot? Help me out, Satang, I've never done this before!"

"Yes, I know you haven't," she replied, "But you'll have to, eventually, right?"

"Mhmm..."

Grasping for a change of topic, Sana cleared her throat. "So, what's the dinner menu Chef Mo?"

And Momo took the opportunity, "Let's see, I was thinking..."

They spoke in low voices and giggled every few minutes, completely unaware that unseen by them, Dahyun had been awake the whole time.

Mina had always been quite good at predicting things. For example, she could tell seconds before it happened that Sana was about to burn down their microwave. She could say when Momo was finally awake from her fifteen-hour nap, while being in a different room altogether. Maybe it was because of her experience in a different life as Mika with Kaito, or maybe it was simply an immortal thing that Sana and Momo didn't have, but regardless, Mina was always aware of everything around her.

And she could tell that the girl sitting from across her looked upset. Like, upset upset.

According to Momo, her name was Tzuyu. Mina could recognise her as she was always with Chaeyoung. She could tell that they were good friends.

(But saying that did mean admitting that she had been watching the shorter girl for days now. And that might not go down that well.)

Mina's hand sweeped delicately over hardwood floors, feeling the texture with her soft fingers in an intricate pattern. The mirror in front of her showed herself, sitting at the center of their dance studio. Sana was trying to master a body roll in the corner, while Momo was sitting idle, already having completed her routine with Mina, flawlessly as always.

Nayeon, the unnie everyone knew due to her incessant boasting that it was her final year of schooling, seemed to be talking to Jihyo, a girl in her year, and a senior she didn't know.

Dahyun was someone she knew in passing. The brunette looked crisp and neat in a light blue miniskirt and white collared shirt as she tried to perfect her movements. Mina watched Tzuyu's hollow, sad eyes linger on the girl and she frowned. Chaeyoung-related or not, that girl needed comfort.

"Hey."

Jumping as if electrocuted, Tzuyu's eyes darted all around before finally focusing on Mina. She saw her gulp.

Tzuyu cleared her throat and looked at Mina again. Mina looked back, albeit rather irritably. For the last time, she didn't bite.

"What d'you need?" Tzuyu asked very quickly, biting back what seemed to be an exclamation.

"To talk to you," Mina replied automatically, immediately berating herself for seeming mechanic. If possible, Tzuyu seemed to shrink even further, hands and legs now curled up into a small ball.

"Why?"

Mina smiled. And pointed at Dahyun. She figured it was enough.

Tzuyu's doe-like eyes widened even further. Mina had already gathered that the girl had put two and two together, but had been using the wrong puzzle pieces.

"You've got it all wrong, I don't like her - I mean I do, I do too much - achh that wasn't what I meant - and it's okay if your friend likes her too I mean I can see clearly that she does and that Dubu likes her back and nobody cares about my stupid crush anyway so... also I'm definitely not stealing her from your friend if that's what you're-"

She was cut off by Mina closing her palm on her mouth in an effort to silence the sudden burst of words.

"Woah..." said Mina jokingly, eyes twinkling so warmly that even Tzuyu couldn't confuse her actions under themes of malice any longer, "Take it easy, won't you? That's not why I'm here."

Tzuyu seemed to calm down. In a few seconds, her facial expressions were sunken again. Mina almost preferred the electrocuted version - at least she wasn't half as gloomy.

"Then why are you?" she asked, "Here, I mean."

Mina took a deep breath.

"I saw you looking at her - Dahyun. It's okay to like someone and not have them like you back. It isn't up to you, anyway. It's okay to like someone even if they like someone else. It's okay to feel sad."

Tzuyu sighed, but Mina noticed that the void behind her eyes seemed thinner, somehow. Her shoulders relaxed, and her posture straightened again. This, she supposed, was what Tzuyu normally looked like. She certainly had the ability to give Mina and her title of 'Ice queen visual' a run for its money.

"Honestly... thanks? I didn't know I needed that. I thought you'd go all queen bitch on me - that's what Chae calls you, anyway. But you aren't all that bad anyway. "

Mina's throat seemed to be clogged. She blinked. For some reason, Chaeyoung calling her what she knew the whole school called her made her feel weak. Frail.

Upset.

She removed that thought from her mind.

"Thank you. I know it was sudden, but still, you looked like you needed it."

Tzuyu smiled for the first time during their conversation.

"Hi," she said hesitantly, reaching her hand out. "I'm Tzuyu Chou. Wanna be friends?"