Broken

4

True to her words, Jihyo went out to have lunch with the girls, she had always made good in her promises, didn't intend on start breaking them. She made her way out of her classroom, she didn't share this class with any of them, with her packed lunch and headed to the cafeteria, she didn't buy lunch at school anymore, locking herself at the student council office never left enough time to head to the cafeteria.

Finding the table, a very eager Nayeon began waving at her with a smile ripping her face in half. Momo seemed taken aback at first, but softened when she took a look at the girl's face, the beat up appearance squeezed her heart a little and she couldn't help but feel compassion to the other one. Chaeyoung seemed to have felt the same, as the young one took in Jihyo's features, she couldn't find it in herself to feel anything but worry towards her.

"Hey." Jihyo says a bit shyly.

"Hey, yourself. Have a seat." Mina answers, scooting away from Tzuyu (the other doing the same) and making Jihyo sit down between them.

"I don't think we were introduced properly, I'm Park Jihyo." Jihyo says looking from Momo to Chaeyoung and back.

"We remember. But we haven't seen you around lately." Chaeyoung tries to lighten up the mood a little.

"I've been a bit busy, student council, work and school work. The usual." Jihyo lets out in a chuckle and starts digging into her lunch bag.

They eat with light conversations, Momo and Chaeyoung start to see where the endearment their girlfriends have for Jihyo comes from, and the pang of jealousy they had whenever the girl was regarded had already been put away. But Jihyo's appearance was still bothering everyone, she looked sickly, exhausted and not at all the bright presence she once was.

Jihyo bids her goodbyes about ten minutes before lunchtime is over, heading back to the office and leaving a bitter taste on everyone's mouth. Chaeyoung had teary eyes as soon as Jihyo turned around, and Momo had lost her appetite. Although, the girls were happy Jihyo showed up, but not at all happy with how she showed up.

"Chae, you can just cry if you want." Mina says, enveloping the little one in a loving hug.

"And you eat more than this, Mo." Nayeon adds, trying to get her girl to eat more, since she wasn't even half done.

"Why didn't you tell us she was like that? That is not the girl we met on the first day of classes." Chaeyoung manages between wet sobs.

"We didn't know until we went to her house last night." Tzuyu responds, just as dejected.

"You guys did say she was one to give it all for everyone to be whole. But this is just-" Momo says and cuts herself, burying her face in the crook of Nayeon's neck.

They spent the rest of recess just moving their food around, and just went on with their day the best they could. But Jihyo slipped their minds as lessons went on, the girl never showed up again, as well, so they just went back to their routine. It was a few weeks later, a friday, when Nayeon brought it up again, asking if any of them had seen Jihyo anywhere at all.

"Yeah, I had some papers to deliver at the council yesterday, she was there. She had a lot of paperwork too, but she did stop to talk a little. It was nice." Chaeyoung said.

"But she did disappear again, didn't she?" Momo asked, dropping her lunch.

"That she did. I think we should do another home invasion." Nayeon wondered.

"Home invasion?" Chae was truly confused.

"Yeah, we go to her house for a sleepover, whether she wants us to or not. And we stay there until she talks it out." Mina explains.

"And that works?" Momo chips in.

"It used to. I'm not sure this time." Nayeon sounds dejected.

"Do we have something to do with it? I mean, she did vanish after we came along." Chaeyoung ponders.

"No, yo-"

"Yes, you might have. She probably thinks we don't need, nor want her around anymore." Tzuyu cuts Nayeon off.

"I can't say it didn't cross my mind, when I first heard you all talking about her. But now I must say I'm ashamed to even have thought it." Chaeyoung admits.

"It's okay. It's normal to feel jealous. But we did just leave her out." Mina says in a huff.

"Then I would say, you guys should go and talk to her. She truly looks awful, something about that doesn't sit well with me." Momo points out.

"We should, but will you two be alright with that?" Nayeon asks, worried.

"We will. That girl needs someone right now, and that might just be you guys." Chaeyoung waves them off.

"We will go to her house tonight, then. Let's meet in front of her house at eight. You two could come as well." Mina decides.

"No, that's not a very good idea right now. We are the ones who made her think she should go away, you guys are the ones who need to bring her back. Momo and I will try to talk to her more, though. Maybe we can get closer in time." Chaeyoung closes the subject and they all proceeded with the rest of their activities, all a bit giddy with the night to come.