Stuck With You

ten

The sound of waves crashing against the shore and birds chirping softly woke Sana the next morning.

Rubbing her eyes, she abruptly sat up, only to freeze when she realized she didn’t recognize the ceiling.

Then it hit her. She wasn’t at home. She had been with her so-called long-leg last night… and she had fallen asleep half-naked. Quickly, Sana pulled the blanket closer, her face burning.

'What did I just do?' she thought. She got out of bed and began pacing back and forth, biting her nails as anxiety crept in. How was she supposed to apologize for her behavior last night?

She remembered the Taiwanese girl mentioning that she didn’t like being touched. What if she had crossed a line? Worse, what if Tzuyu thought she was being weird… or misunderstood her intentions completely?

Grabbing her phone from the bedside table, Sana checked the time. 5:00 a.m.
After a moment of hesitation, she stepped out of her room and knocked on the door across the hall.

Mrs. Lee noticed her and smiled warmly. “Miss Chou went on her morning jog by the seashore,” she said. “I can take you to her.”

As they walked out of the rest house, Mrs. Lee glanced at Sana and smiled knowingly. “Her clothes fit you very well. You look good in them.”

Sana blinked, flustered. Mrs. Lee had known Tzuyu since her diaper days, and since Sana was the first person Tzuyu had brought to the Kim's residence aside from Chaeyoung and Mina, she couldn’t help but think the young boss had finally found the right girl.

When they reached the shore, they saw Tzuyu sitting on the sand, facing the sea. Mrs. Lee excused herself and quietly left them alone. Tzuyu inhaled the fresh, salty air just as Sana sat beside her.

“Hey,” Sana greeted softly.

“How was your sleep?” Tzuyu asked, turning to her. “Did you get proper rest?”

“Yeah… thank you.” Sana hesitated, then looked down. “And, um… about last night. I’m really sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”

Tzuyu smiled gently. “That was understandable. You’re afraid of thunder, aren’t you?”

Sana nodded. “Yes. And… I’m really thankful you saw me on the road. If not, I might’ve been stuck there until now. Thank you. That really means a lot to me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Tzuyu replied.

Sana then looked at her, curiosity lighting her eyes. “By the way, I still don’t know your real name.”

“Why do you want to know?” Tzuyu asked, amused.

“Why?” Sana echoed, pretending to think—something Tzuyu found inexplicably adorable.

“Well… because I want to know my savior personally. And I’m curious who’s behind the codename long-leg.” Tzuyu just chuckled at Sana's answer.

They then watched the sunrise in comfortable silence until Sana suddenly stood and walked toward the water, stopping when it reached her knees. She laughed as she splashed around.

“Hey, long-leg!” Sana called. “Come join me! It’s fun, the water’s cool!”

“No thanks, I’m good,” Tzuyu replied.
Sana didn’t take no for an answer. She grabbed Tzuyu’s hand and pulled her in. Tzuyu sighed before splashing water back at her.

Soon enough, they were laughing like children. As Sana began losing their little water fight, she wrapped her arms around Tzuyu to stop her from splashing more. Tzuyu laughed, clearly enjoying herself.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching from behind the mangroves.

“Hey, what are you doing?” another girl whispered.

“Shh-look,” the first one said, pointing.

“Whoa… is that Tzuyu-unnie?” the younger one gasped.

“Mhm. And that’s exactly why I’m taking pictures,” the shorter girl replied.

After snapping a few photos, the two quietly headed back to the rest house.

Meanwhile, Nayeon’s voice echoed throughout her house. She absolutely hated the situation she woke up to. The pillow barrier she placed last night was gone and Jeongyeon’s arm was wrapped around her waist.

With a shove, she pushed Jeongyeon off the bed with a loud thud.

“Ouch! What is wrong with you?” Jeongyeon complained from the floor. “Don’t you have manners? I was resting! You could’ve woken me up like a normal human being.”

“You could’ve slept like a normal human being,” Nayeon mocked. She pointed at her hair. “Look at this! How dare you drool on my precious hair?!”

“You can wash it,” Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. “And how are you so sure it was mine and not yours?”

“No doubt it was yours,” Nayeon snapped. “You’re still drooling even now!” She threw a pillow straight at Jeongyeon’s face.

“You rabbit!” Jeongyeon yelled, grabbing the pillow. “I came here last night in terrible weather and this is how you thank me?!”

“If you didn’t do stupid things, I wouldn’t hit you!” Nayeon retorted, grabbing the nearest cushion.

A full-blown pillow fight broke out. They were so busy fighting that they didn’t notice Jihyo leaning against the doorframe, until the sound of a camera click echoed.

“Now I’m convinced,” Jihyo said calmly while checking her phone. “You two are definitely going to end up together.”

The two immediately stopped and glared at each other.

“Not gonna happen,” they said in unison.
“I’d rather drown myself.” Jeongyeon added.

“Mhm. I’ll look forward to that,” Jihyo replied smugly. “Anyway, we need to meet the others at school about the dorm arrangements.”

As she walked away, Nayeon and Jeongyeon raced toward the bathroom.

“I’ll go first!” Nayeon shouted, blocking the door.

“I came first!” Jeongyeon argued.

“Seriously,” Jihyo called from the living room. “If you don’t want to take turns, just bathe together. You act like a married couple.”