What I Cannot Say

Part 3- End

Dinnertime at TWICE dorm was always noisy and chaotic. Even when no one was speaking, the large kitchen was bustling with cooking sounds and the clinking of utensils against bowls containing various foods. Seeing as no one in the group could cook well nor enjoy cooking, it was a free-for-all where everyone either ordered take-out or tried their hands at whatever attractive recipes they found online. Therefore, fire extinguishers were never put out of reach.

In a corner, Nayeon- the eldest member of TWICE- was devouring her ramen in a highly unrefined fashion. Not caring even a little about how her hair was practically covering her face and brushing inside the bowl, she continued to slurp down the noodles with a fervor.

On the other side sat Mina and Jeongyeon, enjoying their dinnertime with a manner so disparate from Nayeon, people could not think they were sitting in the same room. Jeongyeon was leisurely flipping through a random megazine as she enjoyed her sandwich, while Mina looked over her shoulder, idly swirling her cup of tea.

In the middle, Sana was being Sana- hopelessly following a cooking video, doing something wrong at every step, shrieking everytime something hot touched her hand.

They barely spared a glance at the front door as it opened, and Jihyo came in.

"Welcome back Jihyo, why are you home so late. Thought you'd be home by noon." Not looking up from her megazine, Jeongyeon commented.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just some other business." Taking off her shoes, Jihyo answered flippantly.

Mina stopped playing with the cup of tea.

"Oh." Said Jeongyeon, not wanting to dwell more on the topic.

"Say, Jihyo..." Mina asked tentatively, with a hint of worry in her voice. "Do you happen to know where Tzuzu is? We haven't seen her since she left for school this morning either."

"I don't know Mina, you can ask her manager? He is always nearby, no worries." Came another nonchalant reply. Jihyo was currently bending down to take off her shoes, her long hair obscuring whatever expression she had.

The brash sound of Nayeon's slurping ceased.

"Jihyo-ah..." Seeing the leader already heading towards their bedroom, she hastily called. "... Do you want to have some dinner? We ordered a lot for you guys."

"... I'm not hungry." Having stopped momentarily to listen to Nayeon, Jihyo answered and continued her retreat without turning back.

The obnoxious noise of Sana's cooking came to a halt.

Jihyo quickly entered the room and slammed the door shut.

The kitchen was now completely devoid of sound, as residents of the largest bedroom exchanged worried looks.

Something was terribly, dreadfully wrong.

_____

Ever since the very first day of TWICE, so far as Sixteen era, Jihyo's overwhelming kindness had been unequivocal. At the beginning, where the trainees were either new to Korea or overly anxious of the competition underway, some might have doubted her for putting up a nice act and having ulterior motives. However, as days went by and every member- Major or Minor, depending which team Jihyo belonged to at the time- was showered by care and affection courtesy of JYP's longest trainee, the suspicion began to fade, gradually replaced by appreciation. They started to rely on her private notes left at their bedside early in the morning, on her shoulder after they were reproached by the producer, and on her sweet encouraging words whispered into their ears whenever they needed emotional support.