with You

Blame It On Me

The news broke the next morning, and it spread fast across social media and fan forums. "TWICE's Momo Suffers Ankle Injury During Practice" was plastered on every major news site, with messages of concern and support pouring in from fans around the world. But behind the scenes, worry was heavy within the TWICE members and their team.

Jihyo was the first to reach Momo at the clinic, pacing by her side as the doctors explained the diagnosis. Momo had suffered a mild sprain in her right ankle, and while the injury wasn't serious, it meant she'd need to rest for at least two weeks—no practice, no schedules, no dancing. She was to wear an ankle brace and avoid putting weight on her foot, or else she risked a more severe injury that could impact her long-term career.

Momo sat in silence as the doctor finished speaking, her face tight with frustration. Her fingers gripped the edge of her hospital bed as she processed the news, her mind racing back to practice the day before. She had been dancing harder than usual, pushing herself to perfect every move in their routine for the upcoming comeback. But in one wrong step, one moment of distraction, her foot had twisted under her, and she'd gone down hard, pain shooting through her ankle.

The feeling of when all the other members rushed over to her still felt raw. The screams were loud, and then a heavy silence followed in the practice room. Mina was the first to Momo's side, calm yet frantic. The look on Mina's face broke her heart.

She was furious with herself. In all her years of dancing, she'd never made a mistake like this before. She prided herself on her skill and endurance, on being able to push through anything, but now she was sidelined, unable to do the one thing that defined her. The thought made her stomach twist, frustration building with every second she sat in that hospital room.

"Two weeks," Momo muttered, her voice barely audible but filled with bitterness. "I can't just sit around for two weeks. Not when there's so much to do."

"Momo," Jihyo said gently, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "we're all here for you. We'll manage until you're back, and your health is the most important thing. Just focus on getting better, okay?"

Momo only nodded, but the frustration remained in her eyes. She could feel the tension in her body, the way her hands clenched into fists as if she could somehow force herself to heal faster. But she knew there was nothing she could do except wait, and that only made the frustration burn hotter.

After the checkup, Jihyo took Momo home, helping her settle onto the couch with a stack of pillows for her foot and a list of instructions from the doctor. As soon as she was alone, Momo buried her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated groan. The emptiness of the apartment only added to her sense of isolation, the silence pressing down on her as she fought the urge to get up and ignore her injury.

Her phone buzzed beside her, pulling her attention. She picked it up, glancing at the screen, only to see Mina's name flashing across it. Her heart clenched, a mixture of longing and anger bubbling up inside her.

She ignored the call, letting it go to voicemail, and stared at her phone as it remained silent for a few moments before buzzing again—Mina, calling a second time. This time, Momo clenched her jaw and turned the phone over, hiding the screen from view.

It had been hard enough to watch Mina with Reiji at the photoshoot, to see her so happy with someone else, to feel the raw ache of jealousy every time she thought about them together. She didn't have the energy to pretend everything was okay, to fake a smile and assure Mina that she was fine. Not when she was struggling with her own feelings, with the frustration of her injury, and the sense of helplessness gnawing at her.

But Mina didn't give up easily. She left message after message, her voice soft and concerned as she asked if Momo was okay, if there was anything she needed, if she wanted company. Each voicemail was a reminder of Mina's kindness, her care, and it only made the ache in Momo's chest grow stronger.

After the sixth missed call, Momo couldn't stand it anymore. She turned her phone off entirely, throwing it onto the couch as she leaned back, closing her eyes. She knew she was being unfair to Mina, that her friend was only trying to help, but she couldn't bring herself to face her right now.

Days passed in a blur of restless frustration. Momo tried to distract herself with movies and books, drawing---anything to take her mind off the nagging ache in her ankle and the suffocating feeling of helplessness. But each time her thoughts drifted to TWICE, to Mina, she felt the bitterness resurface, a deep, gnawing sense of frustration that she couldn't shake.

On the fifth day, when she finally turned her phone back on, she found dozens of missed calls and messages from her members, all of them checking in, but most were from Mina.

Mina's texts were simple, a mixture of updates on the group's progress and gentle encouragement. "We all miss you, Momoring! Rest well." "Practice isn't the same without our dancing machine." And each one tugged at Momo's heart, the guilt building alongside her frustration.

She hadn't replied to a single one. She knew she should, but each time she started typing, she'd delete the message, unable to find the right words. She was angry with herself, angry with her injury, and if she was honest, a small part of her was angry with Mina too—for moving on, for being so happy with someone else, for not even noticing how much it hurt Momo to watch.

It wasn't Mina's fault, and Momo knew that. But as she sat in her empty apartment, watching the rain slide down the window, she couldn't stop the tears from falling again. She let herself cry, the frustration and jealousy spilling out in quiet sobs as she hugged her knees to her chest, her ankle throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

All she wanted was for things to go back to normal—for her heart to stop hurting, for her body to heal, and for the distance between her and Mina to disappear. But deep down, she knew that even when her ankle healed, some wounds would take far longer to mend.

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a/n: what do you guys think so far?? there's more to come, make sure to favorite this story!! thank you for reading :)