MiSaMo: Operation Kim

Chapter 9

Meanwhile, Momo and Sana were trying not to make it obvious that they weren't searching for someone. After a bit, they decided to give up and go back to their dorm, and they weren't prepared to see who was waiting in the reception.

"Dahyun? What are you doing here? I'm pretty sure your dorm is in another building." Momo asked, hiding her relief.

"I wanted to ask you a bit about what happened." Dahyun spoke quietly, avoiding eye-contact.

"What happened?" In truth, Momo knew exactly what the pale girl was referring to.

"You know, when you defended me against Yeji..."

"Oh, I remember now! Yeah, let's chat!" Momo grinned, dragging Sana by the hand. They sat down beside her, waiting for her to speak.

"Why did you do it? How did you do it?" Dahyun asked, emphasising the 'how'.

"I just couldn't watch you getting beaten up. And as for the 'how' question, I could easily beat that whole group in a fight." Momo boasted, leaning back in her seat. Sana giggled while lightly hitting her shoulder.

"Momo's a little full of herself." Sana explained, turning her attention back to Dahyun, causing Momo to scoff.

"Oh, and as if you aren't!"

"And how did you know that Ryujin and Mr Lee would arrive? It's like you sensed them."

Momo didn't know how to answer that. She did sense them, but if she told her that Dahyun might get suspicious.

"I have higher intuition." She answered, and Dahyun's eyes sparkled.

"Me too! Maybe not as strong as yours, though." She exclaimed, right before they all whipped their heads round to a girl running through the room. 

"Shit." Momo muttered.

"Mina!" Sana called, but her friend didn't listen. She disappeared down the hall, and Sana sighed. "What to do..."

"I'll stay. You go talk to her." Momo smiled, and Sana nodded as she followed Mina.

 "What's going on?" Dahyun asked.

"I'm not sure." Except Momo was sure, but neither she nor Sana knew how serious it might be...

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Sana knocked on the door dividing Mina's bedroom to the others, not expecting a fully thought-out response.

"Who is it?" 

Mina's voice sounded quieter, unsure. It was also shaking, not that Sana was surprised, though.

"It's me, Mitang. Can I come in?" Sana asked softly. She heard a hum from the other side of the door and took that as a yes.

She walked in and saw Mina on the floor, already starting to regulate her breathing.

"Are you alright?" Sana asked, wrapping her arm around Mina as she sat next to her. The latter only shrugged.

"I guess it wasn't that bad." Mina eventually spoke, looking down.

"But what happened?" Sana asked. "This one wasn't as serious as it could be, but you haven't had a panic attack in ages!"

Mina shrugged, but her best friend was not having it. "Don't lie. I have lived with you for years, I know you know what's wrong."

"I was with the others and they snuck in alcohol." Mina reluctantly began explaining, and Sana listened in attentive silence. "Then Jeongyeon dropped her glass and it smashed. And then the voices started yelling in my head again."

Sana nodded, understanding the issue. She held Mina's hand, tightly but also delicately, as if her friend was a fragile piece of glass.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm like this." Mina mumbled, still not looking at Sana. The latter desperately wanted to express her exasperation but she knew it wasn't the right time. She was just so tired of Mina always insisting she was in the wrong or that everything was fine every time she was even slightly vulnerable.

"Don't apologise. It's not your fault." Sana reassured her, embracing Mina tightly. She pulled away and looked at her friend's face. "Did you cry?" She teased, causing Mina to roll her eyes playfully.

"Of course not. Do you really know me or what?" She smirked, raising her eyebrow. They giggled together until Mina changed the subject. "Did you find Dahyun?"

Sana nodded, a grin still on her face. "Momo's talking to her right now." She stood up. "Let's go join them?"

Mina smiled, grabbing her best friend's hand and together they left the dorm.

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"Mina's a little odd." Chaeyoung commented and the others agreed.

"Yeah, earlier, when Jeongyeon dropped her glass, I tried to talk to her and she was shaking." Nayeon added thoughtfully.

"Maybe she's had a bad experience with alcohol?" Tzuyu suggested. "Maybe Sana and Momo also know?" 

Jeongyeon sighed. "Whatever it is, it seems personal so we shouldn't pry her or her friends about it. If fate leads us to find out, then I'm sure the answer will come with time."

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"Thank you for saving me." Dahyun thanked Momo again, just as the other two arrived.

"Mina! Are you okay?" Momo asked, relieved when her friend nodded. She then turned back to Dahyun. "Why was Yeji trying to hurt you anyway?"

Dahyun seemed to be contemplating her answer. "Well...ITZY don't like me, to say the least."

"But why? This is there second year in this school, and it's your first. How can they know you?" This time it was Sana who asked the question.

"Lia had some sort of connection with my family. I don't think her friends know the whole story, but they definitely have their suspicions." Dahyun explained, her pace slow and steady. "That's why they think I murdered Lia."

"I, for one, am confident that you didn't do it!" Sana smiled, once again playing innocent. They looked up to see Chaeyoung and Tzuyu walking into the reception. It was odd, because their dorm wasn't in that building. Tzuyu stopped, covering her mouth with her hand and nudged her friend, pointing at them. Chaeyoung followed her gaze and smiled widely. Mina, being as observant as ever, noticed Dahyun was shrinking back in her seat.

"Tofu!" Chaeyoung called, wandering over to the three with Tzuyu following. Momo looked back at Dahyun in surprise.

"You know them?"

Dahyun hesitated before answering.

"Yes I do. Hello again, girls."