Never In My Dreams

3- Worth A Shot

"If you don't like the road you're walking on, start paving a new one."
-Dolly Parton

[Tzuyu's POV]

There I was, sitting down innocently while Dahyun, Sana, Mina, and Nayeon stood on the other side of the room. Surely I was shocked myself about her response. I was still a stranger to them and I could only put to pieces of their conversation, but they were discussing 'me'.

"Chou Tzuyu," called Nayeon from Sana's far left. I immediately stood up, expecting to be escorted off the premises, but instead I saw Sana's signature smile whilst grabbing my wrist.

Although Sana and Dahyun were smiling widely at me, Mina and Nayeon seemed a bit tense or anxious. They either inched themselves away or constantly fiddled with their fingers.

"Dahyun and I agreed to share rooms, while you use mine. You can stay here for however long you need to, right?" Sana said, with emphasizing the last word. Although I wasn't fluent in Korean, I knew she was directing the last part to the other two, who were simply looking off into the distance.

"But...," Nayeon said, while looking at me intently while holding her uneasy demeanor. "You have to promise us that you'll answer our questions...?"

I nodded my head although I only understood a few words in that single sentence.

That meant I wasn't trusted...
—

"Where are you from?" Nayeon asked, while making a seat on the sofa across from me. Mina was directly by her side, continuing to steal glances at me from time to time, while I tried my best to answer.

"I...uh...from Taiwan," I said a little unconfidently. It was hard to think about my sentence phrasing when the room was silent and all eyes were on me.

Dahyun spoke, "So you're a foreigner along with Sana, Mina, and Momo?" Dahyun then widened her eyes in astonishment while slowly nodding her head in approval.

I watched as Mina shifted uncomfortably in her seat while rubbing her elbow. What's wrong with her?

"So you came to Korea because...?" Nayeon said, gesturing her hands for me to continue on.

There it was. The question I wanted to avoid with all my heart. If I only answered it, then I could only remind myself of everything leading to my disappearance from Taiwan. So I answered in the most vague way, "Some stuff happened that's why."

I could tell they were all waiting for a more clearer response, mainly Nayeon, who raised her eyebrow at me as if I was certain I was done.

"It isn't illegal, right?"

I shook my head no, maybe a little too dramatically. "Don't worry, I left Taiwan for personal reasons only," I stated while trying to calm my heart down from all the nervousness.

Sana gave me a gentle smile, eventually pushing herself from the couch and clapping her hands in excitement. "So it's settled. You'll be staying with us for the time being!"

Sana disappeared in the back, while Dahyun made her way closer to me. "Say, you look pretty young, but tall too..."

"I'm eighteen."