Broken

3

That night, Mina waited impatiently for Nayeon and Tzuyu to arrive, she had been in front of the Park's house for almost ten minutes, now, and she was the one who lived the furthest. Tzuyu happened to live exactly halfway from the girl's street to Mina's, which made the latter very annoyed with either not having shown up, still.

Not much later Tzuyu arrived to a earful from Mina, she managed to appease the girl right when Nayeon joined them. Knocking at the door, they were greeted by mrs Park, who told them they should come by more often, and to bring their girlfriends as well, before being ushered to Jihyo's room. They found their friend bent over too many books and notebooks to be studying only the subjects they had at school.

"You are going to get yourself sick again." Nayeon said, stepping into the room first.

Jihyo whipped her head to the door, not having noticed she had company. The other three, though, noticed some changes to her they didn't like at all. Jihyo had lost some weight, her eyes were sunken and had very dark circles, her thick glasses weren't doing much to hide it, she was much paler as well, and her eyes didn't shine as much. She gave them a smile, but it never reached her eyes, it didn't sit well.

"Hey girls, I didn't hear you come in. Did something happen?" Jihyo asked is the best cheery tone she could muster.

"Yeah, you are being a dumbass." Tzuyu had lost her patience at the sight.

"I a- What?" Jihyo was legitimately confused.

"You are being a dumbass. Did I stutter?" Tzuyu repeated herself, walking to the table and plopping down beside Jihyo.

"You really need to work on that aggression, Yu." Mina gave the girl a fond smile and sat herself across from Jihyo, Nayeon took the girl's other side.

"And how is it that I'm a dumbass?" Jihyo asked, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes.

"You are draining yourself again. And why have you been avoiding us?" Nayeon asked, bringing the girl into her embrace.

"I'm not, though?" Jihyo tried to argue, earning a pinch to her cheek from an annoyed Tzuyu.

"Jihyo, you know that we would never cut you off, right?!" Mina tries.

"And why are you telling me that? What is going on here?" Jihyo sounds truly confused.

"Because you disappeared when we got girlfriends, and now you are exhausting yourself, trying to have a reason not to have to spend time with us." Mina continues.

"And you think we are having any of it. We are not, by the way." Tzuyu huffs, still very annoyed.

"I got busy? You guys do know I got a job and started helping the student council, right?" Jihyo reasons.

"We know you started doing those after Momo and Chaeyoung came by." Nayeon says, pulling the girl back into her embrace.

"That's just coincidence. I was planning to do that anyways."

"And why didn't we hear about it?" Tzuyu questions.

"Same reason you only showed up here after four months I've been doing it." Jihyo says, resignated.

The others seem to have run out of arguments, as they are all avoiding eye contact and looking very ashamed about themselves. Jihyo knew that would be the final blow to them, but she really didn't want to be around them, she felt like a spectator to some very personal secret nobody was supposed to see. Jihyo felt like she didn't deserve to be there, and she didn't really want to be the odd one out as well.

"That's a low blow, and you know it." Nayeon lets out in a wet chuckle.

"Is it, though? Four months, Nayeon. Who was it that noticed? I'm guessing it was Tzu." Jihyo said, a bitterness colouring her voice.

"That's unfa-" Nayeon begins.

"It's not." Tzuyu cuts her. "She IS right, you know?! We did take four months to notice she wasn't even there. And now we are here, asking for her to come back and watch from the sidelines again. We are the unfair ones."

"I knew you would be the first one to understand, Yucchan." Jihyo says, scooting closer to Tzuyu and hugging the girl.

"Doesn't mean I want to accept it. I like you too much, we like you too much to just leave you alone like this. And you don't look so hot yourself." Tzuyu still sounds annoyed, this time, more with herself.

"I'm fine, though? You guys just haven't seen me in a while."

"Ji, you lost a lot of weight." Mina points out.

"I HAVE been working out. Naturally I would lose some weight. My vocal professor told me to strengthen my chest muscles and abs too, something about having better breath control." Jihyo sounds almost amused.

"You look much paler and those dark circles under your eyes have never been that bad. Your eyes look sunken too." Nayeon points out.

"I have been indoors more than before. Less sunlight means no tan."

"You have an answer for everything we might say, don't you?" Tzuyu asks, squinting her eyes.

"Yes I do. Now, could you guys just say what you have to say? I still have a lot of work to do."

"Fine, you disappeared, we took too long to notice, and now we are sorry. Could you, please hang out with us again? We don't like not having you around." Mina says with finality.

"I can try, but I'll only be able to show up now and then. And before you get too happy, that will only happen if I feel Momo and Chaeyoung are okay with everything. Any discomfort and I'm getting back to my routine." Jihyo doesn't leave any room for arguing.

They talk a bit more, and the girls leave not much later, each one giving Jihyo a big hug and demanding she fulfills her promise to show up for lunch the next day. Tzuyu, being the most affectionate one also covers her with kisses before leaving, hand in hand with Mina, who has a very fond and lovable smile. Nayeon has a bounce on her step, on her way downstairs, the three feeling lighter than when they came.