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(iv)
Ever since Tzuyu’s parents have been going overseas frequently for their business trips, Tzuyu has been sleeping over more at Dahyun’s place. Honestly, Dahyun’s mom has almost taken her in as her other child, to the point where even Dahyun is starting to sulk about it.
Usually, they’re gone for a few days or a week, on occasion, one of them stays back to stay with Tzuyu. The problem is though, that this will be the first birthday Tzuyu will spend without her parents, both extremely upset about the circumstances but unable to rearrange their meetings. Even if Tzuyu isn’t vocalising her sadness, it’s something Dahyun can sense from miles away. She can’t let her feel alone, no matter what happens.
After discussing it with a couple of people, she’s come up with an idea. Dahyun wants to organise something for her, probably with some of her university friends too. She’s been introduced to a handful of them, just like Tzuyu knows Dahyun’s friends. It’ll be easy to call them over for a small party or sleepover. Well, the sleepover part is still unconfirmed but Dahyun loves the idea of them all sleeping in one place. Maybe they can rent out a place for a weekend.
In the end, Dahyun manages to convince her parents to let them hangout at a beach house for the weekend. Of course, all she had to was pull the making-Tzuyu-happy card on her mom and it was a cemented deal immediately. But really, Dahyun wants this all to work out. She wants to make Tzuyu smile, keep her happy when she’s feeling down.
“I don’t know how you worked this out but I love you, I hope you know that.” Tzuyu gasps as soon as she steps inside the beach house.
Dahyun forces a smile, a part of her heart chipping away. If only it was the same.
Half an hour later, seven more girls join in, all as eagerly awaiting this getaway as the rest. The shouting and squealing is a clear sell out. They sort their own rooms before Dahyun can say anything but she clearly knows they’re up to something. The mischievous glint in their eyes are a dead giveaway.
It turns out that means they’ve roomed the two of them together. Just perfect. She groans at the outcome.
“Stop sulking around, you’re acting like this is something new.” Tzuyu mumbles, dragging their things into their chosen room. Her tone is off and a part of Dahyun is worried, thinking she’s angry, or upset at something. But, she chooses not to push it. She watches her walk away, utterly concerned, yet, she’s incredible afraid.
They decide to cut the cake after dinner that evening, all crowding around Tzuyu. Dahyun watches from the side, enjoying the chaos of everyone attempting to smother Tzuyu with some sort of affection. The party hat gets pushed on first, followed by some birthday cake sunglasses and a silly light up Hawaiian lei. She doesn’t even know who brought all of these things, but the smile on Tzuyu’s face is glowing, spreading to everyone else.
“Birthday kisses! Let’s go!” One of the friends cheer out, egging everyone on. “Dahyun, what are you even doing there? Come here.”
Shyly, Dahyun joins the queue, trying not to ignore the feel of the green monster nagging at her as each person plants a kiss on Tzuyu’s face. There’s a couple of lipstick stains on Tzuyu’s face by the time it’s Dahyun’s turn. There’s a fond smile on Tzuyu’s lips and it throws Dahyun off for a mere second, to be on the receiving end of such a precious sight.
“Happy birthday Tzubaby.” Dahyun pinches Tzuyu’s cheeks and ignoring her whines of protest. Without saying a word, Tzuyu bends her knees, not letting Dahyun lean up this time. The little action warms her heart, heals some of the cracks.
She places a gentle kiss on Tzuyu’s right cheek, ignoring the squeals from her friends. Dahyun feels like one isn’t enough, pressing another kiss to Tzuyu’s left cheek and then her chin. Tzuyu gasps, looks at Dahyun in surprise and she seems as if she wants to say something, but the other girls protest, arguing about how they only got one kiss.
And, she blends in to the back.
(ii)
Running as fast as she can, Dahyun is well aware that she’s going to be late to school. Her alarm didn’t go off this morning—or, perhaps it did and she’d switched it off—but, now she’s trying her best to get there on time before she gets into trouble again.
It’s the final stretch, the gates are in sight. Dahyun squints into the distance, checking if any teachers are around. She begins to slow down when there’s none in sight. Maybe, she’ll escape unscathed this time around. Wait, no. She swears under her breath when she spots the group of girls near the entrance; the prefects. Dahyun isn’t going to make it and they’ll for sure love to close the gate in her face. With the last bit of energy she has remaining in her body, she pushes herself to run again, making it to the golden gate.
Hunched over and breathing heavily, it takes Dahyun a few moments to gain control of her breathing. Someone tugs her bag, pulling her inside, just in time before the bell goes off. She loses her footing, not appreciating being pushed around like a ragdoll. But, her anger mellows down as soon as she looks up, locking eyes with her best friend.
“Hi?” Dahyun grins, trying to escape the lengthy scolding she’s about to receive.
“How many times does this need to happen? I can’t save you every time.”
“I’ll be careful next time Tzuyu!” Dahyun attempts to escape. She runs in the other direction but forgets, Tzuyu’s height already causes problems. She’s hauled back by her bag strap, colliding against Tzuyu.
“What was it? Your mom told me you were ready to leave ages ago.” Tzuyu hisses, taking Dahyun to her first class.
“My alarm didn’t go off. I don’t know what mom told you but I didn’t wake up until thirty minutes ago.” Dahyun grumbles. It’s not really an excuse.
“Knowing you, you probably turned it off when you were half-asleep.” Tzuyu rolls her eyes. “I think I know what to get for your birthday.”
“Oh, shut up.” Dahyun crosses her arms over her chest. She tries to look intimidating but Tzuyu erupts in laughter. “You’re evil. I’m going.”
She only takes one step when Tzuyu tugs her by the hand, pulling her around. “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be teasing you so much. But, I really think you should get a new alarm clock. The other prefects would have had your head if they were the ones who caught you.”
Dahyun sulks, though, understanding of Tzuyu’s words. All Tzuyu has ever done is try to protect her and she appreciates it. “That’s exactly why you’re my favourite.” She leans on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on Tzuyu’s cheek, leaving her behind, flustered and red.
There’s a smile on her face the rest of the day.
(i)
The bell for lunch break just goes off and Dahyun reaches for her lunchbox, all packed nicely by her mom. She scrunches up her nose at the sight of the carrots. Her mom has been going on and on about how carrots are meant to make your eyes better and it’s become her solution to cure Dahyun’s poor eyesight. But, Dahyun thinks they don’t work along with them tasting absolutely disgusting.
“Carrots again?” Tzuyu points to her vegetables as they walk out of their classroom together. “Do you want to swap them for my cucumbers? I know you hate them.”
“Mom wants me to eat them. Thanks for offering though.” Dahyun sulks, Tzuyu’s eyes still on her lunchbox.
Tzuyu’s not looking at where she’s going and Dahyun’s warning isn’t early enough for her to realise there’s a big rock in front of her. She trips over, sending her lunchbox flying into the air. It breaks upon impact and she bursts into tears. She doesn’t even notice the scratches on her knee. Dahyun knows that was her favourite lunchbox and now it’s broken.
“Tzuyu, are you okay?” Dahyun bends down beside her, looking at Tzuyu’s knee.
Her tears aren’t stopping and Dahyun’s worry increases. She stands up to go to the nurse but Tzuyu doesn’t let her go, tugging on her hand to keep her in place. Stuck without knowing what to do, Dahyun chooses to gather Tzuyu’s lunchbox and help her up as they walk together to the nurse instead.
While Tzuyu is being attended to, Dahyun tries to fix her lunchbox. Maybe she can get her dad to glue it together. It only needs a little bit. She’s so focused on Tzuyu’s lunchbox, she doesn’t see her walk out of the room. There’s a pink band-aid on her knee, covering the scratches from the fall. Dahyun rushes to her and helps her sit down.
“You know, when I fall down, my mom does something that can help me feel better. Do you want me to try?” Dahyun asks, hoping it’ll cheer Tzuyu up.
Tzuyu nods as she wipes away what remains of her tears. Dahyun kisses Tzuyu’s the top of band-aid, smiling shyly as she sits back down again.
“Thank you.” Tzuyu almost begins to cry again. But, Dahyun hugs her before she can, hoping to chase away the sadness with the best type of cure.
She doesn’t really want to let go.
(iii)
It’s the last day of their exams before they can graduate school. Tzuyu should’ve been here an hour ago, always one to be early for important events. But, she’s nowhere in sight and she’s not picking up her phone and Dahyun is starting to get really worried. She’d never skip exams, especially ones as important as her finals.
She dials her number again and receives no answer. The gates are about to close. Dahyun doesn’t know what to do. Technically, she doesn’t need to be in school because she’s finished her exams but she’ll get in trouble if she skips school. Screw it. Tzuyu is worth it all. It’s not like Dahyun would be able to do anything during the day when her mind will be worried about Tzuyu. She’s totally going to give her hell when she sees her. Always teasing Dahyun for being late, now who’s late?
Dahyun cycles to Tzuyu’s house, uses the spare key under the dog statue on the porch to get in. She frowns when she calls her name and receives no answer. Running to Tzuyu’s room, she almost does a double take when she sees Tzuyu still in bed. She’s resting, yes. But, looking incredibly dehydrated and pale. Beads of sweat roll down her forehead and Dahyun pushes herself to jump into action. She knows where most of the things are in Tzuyu’s room, but not the rest of the house.
Scrambling, she finds a bowl, fills it with cold water and grabs a small face towel. Dahyun wipes away the sweat and leaves the cool towel on her head. Tzuyu groans, but she shushes her, attempting to calm her down.
“Tzuyu, water?” Dahyun asks, hoping she can be heard. Tzuyu nods meekly and she carefully brings a glass to her lips. “Slowly.” She reminds.
“What… why.” Tzuyu tries to speak. “School.”
“Can you be quiet and use that energy left to close your eyes and sleep. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you were feeling sick.” Dahyun grumbles. “I waited a whole hour for you at school and everyone looked at me funny because I was early for once.”
Tzuyu smiles a little, finding her outburst amusing. “Thanks.”
She drifts off to sleep a short while later and Dahyun remains by her side, making sure the fever is gone and she has everything accessible beside her in case she needs it. Dahyun sighs, still unbelieving of the fact that this girl almost gave her a heart attack today. She’s glad she listened to her heart and not her mind or else Tzuyu would’ve struggled to get better on her own.
Damn her idiotic belief of not wanting to bother others. Damn her humbleness. Damn her.
When the door to the house opens, Dahyun slips off the bed, leaving a kiss on Tzuyu’s forehead. She mumbles a little, stirring from her sleep but quietens a heartbeat later. Dahyun slips the covers over her, makes sure she’s tucked in before leaving.
This silly goof is so precious and it’s almost—no, it’s certain that Dahyun has a big fat crush on her stupid best friend.
Damn herself too.
(v)
The birthday celebration dies down a little close to one in the morning. Most of the girls headed into their rooms, ready to sleep. But, Dahyun’s wide awake. Honestly, she’s not looking forward to face Tzuyu when she returns to the room. Instead of lingering around, Dahyun decides to walk out into the patio, hoping to ease her tensions by listening to the waves crashing on the shore. She rubs her arms as she attempts to relax. Being around Tzuyu in that room, friends being aware of her feelings, wasn’t very fun. Dahyun hadn’t thought this whole fiasco would be so in her face.
But what was she really expecting when her crush slowly evolved to something heavier?
She can’t help the tears beginning to fall, trying to keep them at bay but struggling to do so.
The main thing Dahyun has realised from this all is that loving your best friend comes with a whole ton of pain. Especially, when you hold on to it for such a lengthy time. Her heart has been chipped away a little at a time. Knowing the person you love is near you, but not being able to take that step to make it something more.
Her stupid, stupid heart.
Why did it have to fall for the most beautiful person she’s ever known?
She’s shaken out of her thoughts when the sliding door opens behind her. Dahyun hurriedly wipes away at the last of her tears. She tries to make it less obvious, staring into the ocean of darkness. Though, Dahyun had forgotten that the lights already shed enough light to give her away.
“Dahyunie?”
Dahyun curses under her breath. Goddamnit . Of course, it has to be Tzuyu who catches her outside. She moves, wanting to hide in the shadows. Because, if there’s anyone who can read her like an open book, it’s Tzuyu. She only manages to take a few steps back when there’s a warm palm enveloping her wrist.
She can’t move. Never can.
But, she tries to steel herself at least. Hopes that Tzuyu can’t see through her like she always does. High hopes most likely to be shattered but the momentary ignorance helps soothe Dahyun’s nerves.
“Were you crying?” Tzuyu’s concerned voice adds to the weight of guilt on Dahyun’s chest. Even on a day where they’re meant to be celebrating Tzuyu’s birthday, she still thinks about Dahyun.
“Just something in my eye.” Dahyun weakly excuses herself, knows for sure that Tzuyu can tell it’s a lie.
Gently, Tzuyu cradles Dahyun’s face between her hands. She wipes across her cheeks, getting rid of any remaining tears. It feels overwhelming. She can’t handle it. Dahyun pulls back quickly, pain flashing on Tzuyu’s face. It breaks her heart, seeing that look on her best friend’s face. But, she needs the space. Needs to breathe.
“Did I do something? I… I feel like we’re taking more steps back than forward.” Tzuyu sighs, running her hand through her hair. She licks her lips, Dahyun knowing it’s a habit of hers when she’s nervous. “I like you, Dahyunie. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable but I feel like I’ve just been making things worse.” She pauses before scoffing. “You can’t even look at me in the eye.”
Tzuyu turns around, looking more defeated than ever. On the other hand, Dahyun is confused. She wants this with Tzuyu, so why is she hesitating? If Tzuyu walks away right now, Dahyun will lose this chance forever. Will lose Tzuyu. Taking three big steps, Dahyun holds onto Tzuyu’s arm and whisks her around.
She waves her hand, tells Tzuyu to bend down. It’s embarrassing, but Tzuyu doesn’t say a word, simply abiding by the instructions given. Slowly, she leans her forehead against Tzuyu’s, sighing softly and trying not to show her nervousness. Dahyun kisses Tzuyu’s cheeks and her forehead, travels down to her chin. She can’t really reach her knee, so she kisses her nose instead.
Dahyun hesitates as their noses brush against each other. When Tzuyu’s eyes flutter close, she takes it as a sign. She leans in, testing the waters, brushing her lips gently against Tzuyu’s. It’s just as precious as every other kiss Dahyun has shared with Tzuyu before. She risks it, pulls Tzuyu down by the collar of her shirt. They stumble a little, ending up leaning against the cool brick.
It’s easily the best thing in Dahyun’s life, she believes. She doesn’t quite want to let go of this moment. Having Tzuyu in her arms feels surreal, yet, here she is. Here she is with the love of her life, finally crossing that bridge she never thought she’d have the courage to cross. Dahyun hesitantly moves away, the addictive feeling of bliss is more than she expects.
“You are so incredibly amazing, I think I’d lose my mind if you weren’t around me. It’s just, over the time I’ve been loving you from afar, it’s been so hard to keep my head cool. I really felt like I was going to crack and just blurt everything out. With the whole awkward proclamation and all.” Dahyun doesn’t even know what she’s saying. Sounds more like rambling to her but she wants to get a point across. It was never about being uncomfortable around Tzuyu.
“So, basically, you were too chicken to be vocal and thought you were going to ruin things?” Tzuyu sums up. It’s half insulting, half accurate. Dahyun doesn’t really argue with her about the truth.
“Well… I have been a little vocal. You do know that I don’t kiss anyone, right? I’ve been showering you with kisses for years. I think it’s time for you to catch up.” Dahyun raises an eyebrow at Tzuyu.
“Challenge accepted.”
Dahyun grins at Tzuyu, pleased with the flurry of kisses she’s rewarded with moments later. She has one hell of a story to tell their friends tomorrow, but for now, she thinks she’d rather spend all her time cuddling Tzuyu.
Now, she’s shining.