Spectrum of Red. [LISRENE]

23

Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun waited for their friends at the entrance of the school.

Out of the blue, Tzuyu, lost in thought, looked at Chaeyoung and asked,

"Chaeyoung, how did you confess to Mina? You know, to make her date you?"

Chaeyoung grinned, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Easy. I gave her lots of ketchup."

Tzuyu blinked.

"Ketchup?"

"Yep. Nothing says 'I love you' like a mountain of ketchup,"

Chaeyoung said confidently as if she'd discovered the secret to the universe.

Dahyun chimed in, smirking.

"Oh, that's nothing. I won Momo over with jokbal."

Tzuyu's eyes widened.

"I don't know who is weird you guys or your girlfriends."

Dahyun replied proudly.

"It's the way to Momo's heart. Trust me, food is powerful."

Tzuyu looked between the two of them in utter disbelief. They were dead serious.

After a moment, Tzuyu dropped the idea of asking them for genuine tips.

But then Chaeyoung, with a cool shrug, added,

"The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach."

She said it with so much confidence that Tzuyu actually started to wonder if giving Sana her favorite food might work.

As she mulled this over, they spotted their Japanese crushes-Mina, Sana, and Momo-heading their way. Chaeyoung nudged Tzuyu, whispering,

"Come on, you should just confess to her already."

Dahyun, overhearing, nodded and gave Tzuyu a thumbs-up.

"We'll help you, Tzu."

When the girls reached them, Chaeyoung greeted Mina with a kiss on the cheek, and Dahyun gave Momo a quick peck on the lips.

Tzuyu, meanwhile, stood frozen, staring at Sana, her face turning redder by the second.

Chaeyoung noticed and casually said,

"Hey, we should do a triple date!"

Everyone agreed, but Sana, raising an eyebrow, teased,

"Oh, but I don't have a date."

Her tone dripped with sarcasm, but Tzuyu missed it and, in a panic, blurted out,

"I-I can be your date!"

The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and she quickly cleared her throat, cheeks glowing even brighter.

Sana laughed, then gave her a warm smile and clung to her arm, making Tzuyu feel like she'd just won the lottery.

As they made their way to the mall, Chaeyoung suddenly pulled Mina away from the group, whispering that they needed some "alone time." Dahyun caught on quickly, grabbing Momo's hand and saying they had "urgent business" to attend to up ahead.

Now alone, Tzuyu and Sana walked side by side. Tzuyu was fidgeting, trying to gather her courage. Clearing her throat, she called out,

"Sana..."

Sana, absorbed in a shop window display, didn't hear her.

"Sana..."

Tzuyu repeated, a little louder. Still, no response. Sana was talking to herself, completely lost in her own world.